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Helen  on  her  travels: 


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HELEN  ON  HEE  TRAVELS: 


WHAT  SHE  SAW  AND  WHAT  SHE  DID 


EUROPE 


NEW   YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  KURD  &  HOUGHTON, 

459  Become  Street. 

1868. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  tlie  year  1868, 

By  W.  L.  Gage, 

in  the  Clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Connecticut. 


Providence  Press  Company.  Printers. 


HELElSr  ON  HEE  TEAYELS. 


First  Letter. 

EDINBURGH. 
Dear  little  Cousin  Susie: 

I  am  very  mucli  afraid  that  this  will  not  be  a  very 
good  letter,  but  I  have  wanted  to  see  you  so  much, 
and  tell  jo\i  what  nice  things  there  are  in  Europe, 
that  mamma  says  I  may  try  to  write  a  real  letter  to 
you,  as  that  will  be  the  next  best  thing  to  seeing  you. 

Oh,  I  do  miss  you  so  much !  When  I  am  playing 
with  my  dolls,  I  feel  lonely  without  you.  There  are 
some  very  nice  little  girls  here,  though,  but  they  are 
not  my  cousins,  you  know!  But  I  shall  forget  what  I 
want  to  tell  you  about,  and  I  think  you  would  like  to 
hear  about  my  ride  on  the  ocean,  and  it  was  a  very 
long  ride,  Susie,  I  thought. 

When  we  went  one  night  from  Boston  to  New  York 
in  one  of  the  Sound  boats,  as  papa  called  it,  I  thought 
it  was  the  most  delightful  thing  to  ride  on  a  steam- 
boat.    It  was  so  large,  and  the  great  saloons  had  such 


HELEX    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 


beautiful  carpets  and  sofas,  and  the  people  looked  so 
happy,  and  I  had  such  a  pretty  bed  to  sleep  in,  that  I 
wished  we  would  not  get  to  New  York  so  soon,  and  I 
told  mamma  we  should  have  such  a  nice  time  all  the 
way  to  Europe,  because  we  went  in  a  steamboat. 

But  oh  dear,  Susie !  it  was  very  different  from  what 
I  thought.  We  did  not  have  such  a  beautiful  great 
state-room  to  sleep  in,  and  the  ship  did  not  sail  so 
nicely  through  the  water,  but  very  soon  began  to  roll 
so  much  that  people  could  hardly  walk  about.  And 
then  on  the  deck,  the  children  could  not  be  trusted  to 
run  and  play  for  fear  of  falling  into  the  ocean.  And 
at  the  table,  too,  the  dishes  could  n't  be  trusted  to  keep 
in  their  places,  but  were  held  in  a  kind  of  frame,  so 
they  would  n't  fall  into  our  laps. 

But  I  had  a  nice  time  after  all,  for  there  were  a 
good  many  little  children  to  play  with,  and  one  little 
girl  like  me  had  four  sisters  and  two  brothers.  Was  n't 
that  nice  ?  We  used  to  have  our  tea  sets  and  dolls  and 
books,  and  then  every  day  we  went  up  on  deck  to  walk 
and  jump.  I  was  not  allowed  to  sit  at  the  same  table 
with  papa  and  mamma,  when  they  had  their  meals, 
but  we  children  had  a  table  by  ourselves  in  another 
room,  and  had  the  stewardess  to  wait  upon  us.  When 
we  were  good  she  would  give  us  nice  things  to  eat ; 
but  one  little  boy  was  naughty  once,  and  she  sent  him 
away  without  any  pudding.  We  did  n't  have  nuts  and 
apples  at  our  table,  but  there  was  one  nice  gentlemen 
from  Cuba  who  was  so  kind  to  us,  and  he  would  throw 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


a  whole  handful  of  nuts  and  figs  on  the  floor  for  us  to 
run  and  pick  up. 

The  captain  liked  little  children,  too,  and  he  told  a 
sailor  to  make  a  nice  swing  for  us  on  deck,  but  before 
w^e  could  have  any  good  time  with  it,  a  great  storm 
came  and  we  had  to  stay  with  our  mothers.  I  remem- 
ber one  day  when  I  was  at  your  house  it  rained  all 
day,  but  we  could  run  about  in  the  house  and  play, 
and  aunt  Susan,  that  is  jout  grandma,  told  us  nice 
stories,  so  that  it  was  almost  better  than  a  pleasant 
day.  Grandmas  tell  such  nice  stories ;  do  n't  you 
think  they  do,  Susie  ? 

But  in  that  great  storm  when  we  were  on  the  At- 
lantic ocean,  it  wasn't  much  like  that.  The  great 
rooms  were  all  dark,  because  they  thought  the  waves 
would  break  in  the  windows  overhead,  if  they  were 
not  covered  with  boards.  We  could  n't  have  much  to 
eat,  for  everything  would  roll  off  the  tables,  and  there 
were  such  awful  noises  all  the  time,  things  rolling 
about,  dishes  breaking,  people  falling  down,  and  the 
great  waves  thumping  against  the  ship  all  the  time. 

The  captain  said  we  must  all  be  good  children,  and 
he  hoped  God  would  n't  let  us  be  drowned.  So  we 
kept  still,  and  we  could  n't  have  done  any  thing  else, 
it  was  so  dreadful.  We  could  just  see  around  the 
room  by  a  little  light  from  the  lamps,  and  I  thought 
people's  faces  looked  very  pale.  And  I  was  afraid,  too, 
when  papa  put  me  into  my  bed,  and  placed  a  high 
board  before  it,  so  I  could  not  fall  out.     It  seemed  just 


4  HELEN    OlSr    HER    TRAVELS. 

like  lying  in  a  deep  box.  I  said,  "  Now  I  lay  nie,"  to 
papa,  and  he  prayed  a  little  prayer  too,  and  I  cried ;  I 
could  n't  help  it,  and  I  thought  he  did,  too,  though  he 
tried  to  look  cheerful. 

But  when  I  woke  up  the  next  morning  the  weather 
was  not  so  had,  and  in  a  few  days  more,  we  could  see 
Ireland,  and  then  England,  and  then  we  stopped  at 
Liverpool,  a  great  cit}^  in  England. 

Have  you  liked  this  letter,  Susie  ?  Then  I'll  write 
another,  perhaps. 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 


Seco]st>  Letter. 

EDIISrBUKGH. 

Dear  Susie  : 

Mamma  asked  me  this  morning,  if  it  was  not  time 
to  write  to  you  again.  I  know  it  is,  but  I  think  it  is 
rather  hard  to  write  a  whole  letter,  do  n't  you  ?  And 
then  every  body  forgets  so  much  they  would  like  to 
sa}^,  certainly  I  do.  jSTow,  in  that  first  letter  to  you,  I 
meant  to  have  told  you  what  we  did  when  Sabbath" 
day  came,  when  we  were  on  that  great  steamer.  They 
were  not  much  like  home  Sundays,  for  we  had  no 
Sunday  school,  and  I  like  to  go  to  Sunday  school. 
How  I  did  long  to  see  my  teacher  and  the  little  boys 
and  girls  in  my  class !  But  we  had  a  meeting :  we 
went  to  church  in  our  cabin,  and  the  minister  was 
dressed  in  a  black  silk  gown,  and  had  white  bands 
around  his  neck.  He  read  all  the  prayers,  and  some 
from  the  bible,  and  then,  when  all  the  people  read,  we 
children  read  too.  He  preached  a  long  sermon,  but 
we  all  kept  still,  and  all  the  steerage  j)assengers  came 
who  wished  to,  and  they  listened  to  all  he  -said.  I 
liked  our  meeting  very  much,  but  the  rest  of  the  day 


6  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

seemed  so  long.  Now,  Susie,  yoii  see  I  forgot  to  tell 
you  all  this  in  the  other  letter. 

Oh,  how  glad  I  was  when  papa  said  we  were  going 
to  go  on  to  the  land  again ;  but  I  kept  close  to  papa 
for  there  were  so  many  people  crowding  and  shouting. 
We  had  no  friends  to  meet  us,  but  some  of  the  j)assen- 
gers  had,  and  it  almost  made  iis  cry  so  see  them  so 
happy.  One  lady  stood  on  the  shore,  and  when  she 
saw  her  daughter  on  the  little  boat,  for  the  great  ship 
can 't  sail  close  to  the  land,  she  said,  "  My  child,  my 
child ;  thank  God  for  my  child  again." 

The  first  thing  we  did  when  we  stej)ped  off  the  boat 
was  to  go  into  a  great  dej;jot,  to  see  some  men  look  over 
our  baggage.  Papa  said  it  was  the  law  that  if  we 
carried  anything  in  our  trunks  to  England  that  wasn't 
allowed,  we  should  have  to  pay  money.  I  was  afraid 
they  would  hurt  my  doll  if  they  found  her,  for  I  carried 
my  great  one  called  Rosa,  but  the  men  did  n't  disturb 
our  things  much,  for  thej  seemed  to  feel  we  had  no 
things  hid.  That  gentleman  fr'om  Cuba  who  gave  us 
so  many  nuts  on  the  ship,  had  given  mamma  a  bunch 
of  little  cigars,  such  as  the  ladies  in  Cuba  smoke,  but 
she  did  n't  have  to  pay  for  them ;  but  we  heard  of  one 
man  who  had  to  give  up  a  great  many  cigars  because 
he  tried  to  hide  them. 

When  the  trunks  were  locked  again,  papa  sent  them 
to  the  depot  where  we  were  going  to  take  the  cars  for 
Scotland,  and  then  we  had  a  little  time  to  walk  about. 
I  saw  so  many  great  ships,  they  seemed  to  come  right 


HELE^    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


up  to  tlie  streets,  but  papa  said  thej  were  in  the 
great  docks ;  that  means  very  deep  places  filled  with 
water.  And  oh,  there  were  all  kinds  of  carriages  so 
different  from  ours,  and  the  oiies  people  rode  in  they 
called  cabs,  but  they  did  n't  look  so  nice  as  the  Boston 
coaches,  I  thought.  I  alwaj^s  thought  when  I  walked 
down  Washington  street,  in  Boston,  that  there  were 
as  many  people  as  in  London,  but  I  found  a  great 
many  more  in  Liverpool.  The  houses  were  so  high, 
and  the  bricks  so  dark,  and  there  was  so  much  smoke, 
and  oh,  how  many  great  churches  we  saw,  and  we  went 
into  a  great  hall,  so  great  that  it  took  me  some  time  to 
run  across  it ;  and  then  we  walked  through  beautiful 
squares,  and  saw  many  fine  houses,  and  nice  looking 
people  and  such  pretty  stores ;  oh,  I  forget,  they  call 
them  shops  in  England;  and  the  bread  stores  were 
the  most  tempting  I  ever  saw,  and  I  had  some  nice 
buns  to  eat.  But  they  did  n't  have  any  of  Brown's 
troches  there,  for  we  couldn't  find  anything  for  my 
cough  but  some  liquorice  lozenges.  But  the  place  I 
liked  to  see  the  best  was  the  market.  We  all  laughed 
to  see  the  women  bareheaded  standing  out  of  doors 
selling  hens  and  meat  and  cabbages  and  flowers  and 
all  kinds  of  things.  One  woman  had  a  barrel  of  pota- 
toes tipped  over,  and  some  little  boys  were  running 
away  with  them.  And  there  were  so  many  peojDle 
buying,  and  so  many  people  selling,  that  there  was  a 


great  noise  and  a  great  crowding,  and  we  had  to  walk 
in  the  middle  of  the  street.    I  saw  some  pretty  baskets. 


HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS. 


aiid  mamma  said  one  would  be  so  convenient  for  a 
luncheon  basket  that  we  bought  one.  I  wanted  to  get 
a  little  one  for  you,  but  then  I  thought  I  could  not 
carry  it  over  Europe,  very  well.  I  want  to  see  you, 
Susie,  so  much,  and  two  other  little  girls  I  know, 
Mary  and  Anna,  that  I  almost  want  to  go  back  to 
America. 

But  I  have  written  all  I  can  to-day.  We  only  after 
that  went  to  the  depot.  No,  first  we  had  our  dinner, 
and  then  we  waited  till  the  cars  started.  If  mamma 
will  allow  me  to  write  again,  I  will  tell  you  what 
strange  cars  they  have  in  England. 

I  send  3^ou  a  good  bye  kiss,  and  Aunt  Susan,  too. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


Third  Letter. 

EDINBUEGH. 

Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

What  did  I  ssty  I  would  write  about  this  time? 
Was  it  about  the  cars  I  rode  in  to  Scotland?  You 
never  saw  such  a  great  depot  as  that  one  we  started 
from  in  Liverpool,  and  you  would  hardly  have  known 
at  first  where  to  find  the  ladies'  room.  But  pretty  soon 
mamma  and  I  found  two,  and  each  was  marked  with 
a  difi'erent  sign ;  one  was  "  first  class  waiting  room," 
and  the  other  ''  second  and  third  class."  ^  We  looked 
into  both  and  they  were  very  difi'erent  from  each  oth- 
er, for  one  had  nice  tables  and  sofas  and  chairs  and 
looking-glasses,  and  was  so  nicely  warmed,  too,  and  no 
one  seemed  to  dare  to  go  in  but  very  nicely  dressed 
ladies ;  but  the  other  was  very  cheerless  and  rather 
cold  and  untidy.  But  papa  called  us  to  get  into  the 
cars,  though  I  thought  he  must  be  mistaken  about 
there  being  any  read}^,  for  I  had  heard  no  whistle,  and 
all  was  so  quiet. 

As  we  walked  along  on  the  platform,  two  or  three 
men  rushed  up  to  us ;    one  wanted  to  take  mamma's 


10  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

travelling  ba^g,  and  one  pajDa's  umbrella,  and  another 
looked  at  me  in  such  a  way  that  I  was  afraid  he  thought 
me  a  kind  of  bundle,  and  would  catch  me  up,  too.  It 
seemed  very  polite,  though,  for  them  to  be  so  kind, 
didn't  it,  Susie  ?  But,  bye  and  bye,  I  saw  papa  had  to 
give  every  man  some  mone}'-  who  had  done  anything 
for  us,  and  I  thought  it  was  better  to  do  as  people  in 
America  do,  to  wait  upon  themselves.  But  the  cars 
were  read}^  for  us  ;  still  the  people  seemed  in  no  hurry, 
and  men  dressed  in  a  kind  of  uniform  stood  here  and 
there  beside  the  train,  to  prevent  anybody  from  push- 
ing and  crowding,  and  to  see  that  everybody  found  a 
seat. 

The  cars, —  but  we  mustn't  call  them  cars,  Susie, 
but  carriages  ;  is  n't  it  strange  ?  —  had  doors  on  each 
side  instead  of  at  the  ends,  and  each  carriage  was 
divided  into  three  or  four  little  rooms,  as  J  called 
them,  with  the  seats  facing  each  other.  Six  or  eight 
people  could  ride  in  each  one.  The  outside  of  all  the 
doors  were  numbered  either  "first  class,"  "second 
class,"  or  "third  class."  We  had  time  to  look  into 
all,  and  the  first  class  ones  were  much  the  best.  The 
seats  were  stuffed  and  covered  with  plush,  and  they 
were  divided  from  each  other  so  nicely,  that  each  one 
was  like  a  comfortable  arm  chair.  The  little  curtains 
at  the  windows  were  so  pretty,  and  it  seemed  like 
being  in  a  pleasant  little  room.  But  the  second  class 
cars  were  not  so  nice,  for  they  had  only  plain  wooden 
seats,   and  no  curtains  at  all  to  the  windows.     The 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  11 

third  class  ones  were  not  much  diiferent,  only  there 
were  not  such  divisions  made,  but  all  the  people  in  the 
car  could  see  each  other,  just  as  we  can  in  America, 
only  the  seats  were  arranged  sg  differently.  And, 
Susie,  which  one  would  you  like  best  to  ride  in  ?  I 
know  what  you  will  say ;  but  it  costs  much  more  money 
to  ride  in  the  prettiest  ones  than  in  tlie  others. 

But  I  am  tired  writing  so  much  about  one  thing. 
Oh,  I  was  glad  to  ride  on  a  railroad  again,  and  to 
think  I  was  going  to  Scotland  !  I  did  n't  know  exactly 
where  Scotland  was,  but  I  wanted  to  go.  First,  we 
had  to  go  through  a  very  long,  black  tunnel,  but  after 
that  we  had  such  a  nice  time  !  The  sun  was  shining, 
and  it  was  so  warm  that  we  could  have  one  window 
open,  and  I  stood  a  long  time  looking  out.  At  first  I 
did  n't  like  the  motion  of  the  cars  very  well,  for  we 
seemed  to  shake  from  side  to  side ;  but  I  could  n't 
think  of  that  long,  for  there  were  so  many  pretty 
things  to  see.  The  houses  were  all  of  brick,  and  each 
one  had  a  little  garden  in  front,  full  of  flowers,  and 
sometimes  vegetables.  We  saw  a  great  many  villages, 
and  each  one  had  such  an  odd  looking  little  church ; 
and  we  saw  some  great  cities,  but  they  didn't  seem  so 
pretty.  And  when  we  were  going  through  the  coun- 
try, with  no  houses  near  us,  the  banks  near  the  rail- 
road were  covered  wdtli  grass,  so  there  Avas  no  dust. 
'  Whenever  the  train  stopped,  the  guards  opened  the 
doors,  and  saw  that  people  had  time  enough  to  get 
out.     I  was  very  glad  when  one  of  our  companions 


12  HELEIsT    OX    HER    TRAVELS. 

stopped,  and  then  we  liad  the  little  room  all  to  our- 
selves. Mamma  gave  me  somethmg  good  from  her 
luncheon  hasket,  and  said,  after  I  had  seen  the  beau- 
tiful sunset,  I  might  lie  down.  She  said  we  were  in 
the  lake  region  then.  I  don't  remember  anything 
after  that,  till  we  changed  cars  and  had  some  supper. 
Then  in  the  new  cars,  I  think  I  must  have  gone  to 
sleep,  for  the  first  I  knew  papa  was  saying  to  me, 
"  Wake  up,  Helen,  we  have  got  to  Edinburgh  ! " 
Do  I  write  too  long  letters,  Susie  ? 


HELEN    02^    HER    TRAVELS.  13 


Fourth  Letter, 

EDINBURGH. 
Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

I  am  going  to  take  a  long  walk  this  morning,  but 
mamma  says  that  I  must  first  go  on  with  my  story  to 
you.  Oh,  I  wish  you  were  here,  and  then  you  could 
see  all  that  I  do,  and  it  would  be  so  much  pleasanter 
than  writing  and  reading  a  letter,  would  n't  it  ? 

When  I  wo^Ke  up  'the  first  morning  we  were  here,  I 
thought  of  course  I  was  in  my  little  berth  in  the 
steamer,  and  began  to  wonder  why  I  was  not  rocking 
back  and  forth.  It  was  so  still  I  looked  around,  and 
saw  a  very  different  room  from  my  little  state-room,  it 
was  so  large,  and  had  such  great  beds  and  windows. 
I  was  so  happy  that  I  sprang  up  and  was  partly 
dressed  before  mamma  woke  up.  When  we  were  all 
ready  we  went  down  stairs  into  a  beautiful  room  to 
get  our  breakfast,  and  we  had  a  little  table  to  our- 
selves. It  stood  by  a  great  bow  window,  and  all  the 
time  we  were  eating  I  kept  jumping  up  and  looking 
out,  for  there  was  such  a  fine  prospect  before  us.  It 
seems  as  though  we  must  be  in  another  world,  too,  all 


14  HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS. 

looked  so  unlike  Boston  and  any  place  ip^  America 
that  I  ever  saw.  Do  n't  you  want  to  know  what  we 
had  for  breakfast,  Susie  ?  It  was  only  bread  and 
butter  and  coffee ;  but  bread  and  butter  never  tasted 
so  good  before,  and  then  I  had  some  coffee  in  a  pretty 
china  cup,  and  a  little  silver  sugar  bowl  and  milk 
pi'itcher  for  my  own  use.  I  am  not  allowed  very  often 
to  have  coffee  to  drink,  so  this  was  a  treat. 

Just  before  I  had  finished  eating,  two  ladies  came 
in  with'  a  dear  little  girl ;  she  was  just  the  size  of  my 
dear  little  friend  Annie,  at  home,  and  mamma  gave 
me  permission  to  speak  to  her.  I  could  hardly  under- 
stand what  she  said,  for  she  spoke  as  the  Scotch  people 
do ;  but  I  could  n't  help  loving  her  dearly,  she  was  so 
gentle.  While  papa  and  mamma  were  reading  the 
morning  papers,  we  stood  together  at  the  window,  and 
we  could  look  right  down  upon  the  street, —  Princes 
Street,  it  is  called, —  and  there  were  a  great  many 
little  children  going  to  school,  and  just  on  the  other 
side  was  a  great  monument,  and  behind  that  were  the 
most  beautiful  gardens  I  ever  saw,  full  of  pretty  walks 
and  green  grass  and  flowers. 

But  I  can't  remember  nearly  all  I  saw  and  did  that 
day,  nor  th^  next,  until  we  came  here  to  our  friends, 
so  I  Mdll  skip  that,  Susie,  and  tell  you  now  .what  a  nice 
house  I  am  in,  and  who  lives  here.  Oh,  we  do  have 
such  nice  times ;  that  means  Jessie  and  Maggie  and 
me.  And  Jackie,  too;  I  forgot  Jackie,  just  then. 
He  is,  next  to  my  little  friend  Walter  at  home,  almost 


HELEN    OX    HER   TRAVELS.  15 

the  dearest  little  boy  I  ever  saw ;  lie  dresses  just  like 
a  Highlander,  with  a  black  velvet  frock  and  short 
trousers  and  red  stockings,  and  such  a  pretty  plaid 
sash  tied  over  his  shoulder.  He  is  never  naughty, 
but  is  just  as  polite  as  a  gentleman.  And  they  all 
have  such*  pretty  plaji;hings,  which  we  play  with  up 
stairs  in  the  nursery;  and  Jessie  and  Maggie  have 
each  a  little  bed  up  there,  too,  and  I  .sleep  with  Mag- 
gie. She  is  two  years  older  than  I  am,  and  she  is  so 
roguish,  and  such  a  nice  girl  to  play  with,  and  Jessie 
is  older  than  Maggie,  and  she  is  more  quiet,  but  I  love 
her  just  as  much. 

Every  morning  we  get  up  early,  and  Margaret  helps 
us  dress ;  then  we  go  to  the  school-room,  a  little  room 
down  stairs,  where  the  governess  comes,  and  where 
the  school-books  are,  and  eat  our  porridge  and  milk. 
Jessie's  mamma  and  my  mamma  come  and  bid  us 
good  morning,  and  then  we  go  together  to  the  dining 
room,  where  we  have  family  prayers.  Then  when  the 
family  have  their  breakfast,  we  are  allowed  some  bread 
and  butter.  While  the  governess  is  giving  Jessie  and 
Maggie  their  music  and  other  lessons,  Ja^ckie  and  I 
play,  or  go  to  walk  with  Margaret.  We  do  n't  have 
our  dinner  with  the  others,  but  eat  earlier  in  the  nice 
little  school-room;  only  when  our  mammas  eat  we 
have  some  of  the  dessert ;  and  sometimes  when  they 
have  tea  we  get  a  little  piece  of  cake,  too.  I  think 
the  Scotch  children  do  n't  eat  so  many  rich  things  as 
the  American  children  do,  for  I  never  hear  even  little 


16  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

Jackie  beg  for  any.  This  is  sucli  a  beautiful  bouse  : 
great  rooms,  and  balls,  and  pictures,  and  so  many  nice 
things, —  and  this  afternoon  Maggie  and  I  are  going 
to  dress  up  her  doll  with  — 

But  mamma  calls  me  to  go  to  walk,  so  .good  bye, 
dear  cousin  Susie.  ' 


HELEN    0]S^    HER    TRAVELS.  17 


Fifth  Lettek. 

EDINBURGH. 
Dear  Susie: 

Jessie  and  Maggie  are  studying  in  the  school-room, 
and  Jackie  has  gone  to  walk,  but  I  have  such  a  bad 
cold  that  I  am  not  allowed  to  go  out,  so  I  think  I  will 
surprise  mamma  by  having  another  letter  ready  for 
you.  I  hardly  know  what  to  write  about,  this  time, 
unless  I  tell  you  about  Sabbath  day,  that  was  day 
before  yesterday. 

Anybody  would  have  known  it  was  Sunday,  because 
after  breakfast  and  prayers  we  did  n't  .have  our-  play- 
things about,  but  we  had  nice  books  to  read.  I  never 
saw  so  many  pretty  books  !  There  were  so  many  Bible 
stories,  with  beautiful  pictures,  that  I  hadn't  time 
enough  to  see  them  all  before  mamma  called  me  to 
get  ready  for  church.  The  churches  do  n't  look  like 
ours  at  home,  Susie;  they  are  very  large,  and  the 
pews  are  not  so  comfortable,  and  the  minister  stands 
in  such  a  high  pulpit ;  and  just  above  his  head  is  a 
kind  of  cover  or  framework  of  wood,  which  Jessie  told 
me  was  called  a  sounding  board.    After  church  I  heard 


18  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

papa  say  tliere  used  to  be  some  in  America^  a  good 
many  years  ago.  It  was  built  out  from  the  wall,  and 
it  seemed  to  me  all  the  time  as  though  it  would  fall. 

When  the  minister  came  in  he  looked  some  like  the 
minister  on  the  ocean,  for  he  had  on  a  black  gown 
and  white  bands,  and  one  man  walked  before  him  and 
carried  the  Bible  and  opened  the  pulpit  door  for  him, 
then  he  went  away ;  and  another  gentleman  walked 
behind  him,  and  he  stopped  just  under  the  high  pulpit, 
where  there  was  a  little  desk.  He  was  the  one  who 
read  the  hymns  t©  the  people,  and  commenced  their 
singing  for  them.  There  wasn't  any  organ  at  all, 
but  this  gentleman  read  two  lines,  and  then  all  the 
people  sung  them  together,  and  then  two  more,  and  so 
on,  through  it  all.  Everybody  sung  as  though  they 
liked  it,  but  they  sung  very  slowly.  I  mean  the  tunes 
were  so  slow\  You  know,  Susie,  that  I  never  sat  so 
still  in  church  as  you  did,  but  I  tried  very  hard  this 
time,  for  if  I  .moved  it  seemed  as  though  everybody 
was  looking  right  at  me.  All  the  little  children  I  saw 
were  just  as  quiet  as  their  fathers  and  mothers.  I 
liked  the  minister  very  much,  because  he  was  Maggie's 
grandpa. 

I  didn't  have  any  money  to  put  into  the  plate  at 
the  door,  because  I  did  n't  know  about  it ;  and  when  I 
saw.  the  others  drop  in  a  penny  apiece,  I  was  so  sorry 
I  hadn't  carried  mine.  Everybody  lays  a  piece  of 
money  on  the  great  plate  when  they  go  into  church, 
and  I  think  the  children  give  a  penny. 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  19 

I  almost  wished  the  meeting  would  be  over,  so  I 
could  go  with  Maggie  to  Sunday  school;  but  there 
was  n't  an}^,  Susie !  We  went  right  home  from 
church ;  but  w^e  did  have  a  kind  of  Sunday  school  at 
home,  for  we  learned  Bible  verses,  and  Margaret  told 
us  good  stories,  and  we  all  sung  pretty  hymns,  and 
then  grandma  talked  to  us,  too.  Oh,  Jessie's  grandma 
is  the  dearest  lady !  No,  Susie,  not  dearer  than  jouv 
grandma,  but  we  all  loved  her  dearly.  She  never  allows 
the  children  to  be  naughty,  and  Jessie  and  Maggie  and 
Jackie  never  are  naughty ;  all  the  time  I  have  been 
here  they  have  never  spoken  unkindly  to  each  other. 

When  bed-time  came  I  thought  I  never  had  had  a 
happier  Sunday,  only  it  w^as  stich  a  disappointment 
about  the  Sunday  school.  But  now,  Susie,  I've  got 
something  funny  to  tell  you  about  the  Sunday  school, 
for  there  is  one,  after  all,  only  it  is  in  the  evening,  and 
poor  children  generally  go,  and  those  who  do  not  get 
much  good  said  to  them  at  home.  And  Sunday  even- 
ing my  papa  went  there  with  Jessie's  papa,  because 
he  is  a  teacher  there,  Jessie's  papa  is,  and  after  the 
lessons  were  through  my  papa  talked  to  them  a  little, 
and  he  told  them  he  lived  in  America,  and  I  suppose 
about  the  Sunday  schools  there.  When  papa  was 
going  out  he  heard  one  little  boy  whisper  to  another, 
"A  ISTorth  American  Indian !  "  Just  as  though  he 
thought  all  the  people  in  America  miist  be  Indians. 
I  am  sure  papa  doesn't  look  much  like  an  Indian, 
does  he,  Susie  ? 


20  HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS . 


Sixth  Letter. 

EDINBUKGH, 

Dear  cousin  Susie  : 

I  am  so  afraid  I  shall  forget  to  tell  you  all  I  mean 
to  in  this  letter.  We  have  had  a  very  nice  time  this 
week,  and  Edinburgh  is  the  finest  city  I  ever  saw,  and 
has  the  prettiest  walks.  The  streets  are  very  broad 
and  clean,  and  the  houses  are  built  of  such  nice  looking 
stone,  and  are  so  regular,  and  there  ar'e  so  many  large 
squares  with  a  great  monument  m  the  centre  and 
green  grass  all  around,  and  the  shop  windows  are  so 
full  of  pretty  things,  that  it  makes  me  feel  as  though 
I  would  like  to  be  a  little  Scotch  girl,  too.  You  never 
saw  in  your  whole  life,  Susie,  as  many  bread  shops  as 
I  see  every  time  I  go  out ;  and  they  are  so  clean,  and 
have  all  kinds  of  cake  in  them,  beside  bread.  I  like 
the  Scotch  short-cake  very  much,  though  mamma  says 
it  is  too  rich  for  children  to  eat.  They  do  n't  have 
the  shops  arranged  here  as  we  do  at  home,  but  there 
are  more  different  kinds  of  goods  in  one  shop ;  and  if 
mamma  wishes  to  buy  me  a  dress,  she  does  n't  find  a 
place  where  they  sell  nothing  but  dresses,  as  in  Boston, 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  21 

but  where  there  are  many  different  kinds  of  other 
things. 

When  we  get  to  Princes  Street  it  is  the  best ;  on 
one  side  the  sidewalk  is  full  of  people,  and  beautiful 
things  for  them  to  look  at  are  in  all  the  shops ;  and  on 
this  side,  too,  are  very  handsome  houses  and  hotels, 
which  reach  all  the  way  from  Calton  Hillj  (oh,  Susie, 
I  must  n't  forget  to  tell  you  about  this  CaJton  Hill,) 
to  the  Castle,  though  the  Castle  is  not  on  this  street, 
but  on  a  great  hill  just  above. 

One  day  I  went  with  Jessie's  mamma  and  my 
mamma,  from  Princes  Street  across  the  beautiful  gar- 
dens which  lie  opposite  the  fine  houses,  and  then  they 
said  we  were  in  the  Old  Town.  And  it  looked  old 
enough  !  I  looked  up  to  the  high  houses  which  were 
before  us,  and  I  was  almost  frightened,  they  looked  so 
old  and  high ;  and  after  we  went  up  long  flights  of 
stone  steps  we  came  to  a  long  street  which  had  a  great 
many  old  houses  on  it,  and  churches,  too.  Mamma 
said  it  was  a  very  celebrated  street,  called  the  High 
street,  and  when  I  was  old  enough  to  read  history,  I 
should  feel  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  it.  Only  think, 
these  old  houses  used  to  belong  to  very  rich  people  and 
had  beautiful  carving  and  furniture  in  them,  but  now 
the  very  poorest  people  crowd  into  them.  It  seemed 
to  me,  though,  as  if  everybody  lived  in  the  street,  for 
it  was  full.  Women  were  bareheaded  and  barefooted, 
and  had  things  to  sell,  arid  men  were  driving  teams 
or  drawing  little  carts,   and  the  poor  little  children 


22  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

were  playing  in  the  dirt.  Between  some  of  these 
high  houses  are  little  alleys  where  the  people  go  into 
their  rooms  5  hut  they  looked  so  deep  and  Mack  I  was 
afraid  of  them,  and  I  was  glad  enough  when  mamma 
said  we  would  get  away  from  the  crowds  and  go  up  to 
the  Castle.  So  we  kept  on  this  same  street,  going  up, 
up,  all  the  time,  and  it  seemed  pretty  long ;  hut  we 
rested  a  riinute  to  see  all  the  children  go  past  from 
the  Ragged  School.  The  little  girls  looked  so  funny, 
all  dressed  alike,  with  hlue  dresses  and  great  straw 
bonnets. 

I  had  a  real  fright,  Susie,  when  we  went  into  the 
great  Parade  before  the  Castle,  for  every  day,  exactly 
at  one  o'clock,  a  cannon  is  fired,  so  that  everybody 
can  know  just  what  time  it  is ;  and  then  all  the  gentle- 
men pull  out  their  watches  to  see  if  they  are  right. 
But  it  is  n't  very  nice  to  be  so  near  such  a  great  gun 
as  we  were :  and  then  I  kept  dreading  it,  for  I  heard 
mamma  whisper  that  it  v^as  almost  one  o'clock.  Doi\'t 
you  think  it  always  makes  a  thing  worse  to  dread  it  so, 
Susie  ?  I  put  my  hands  over  my  ears,  but  I  could  n't 
help  hearing  it ;  and  oh,  dear,  how  I  jumped !  I  saw 
some  of  the  soldiers  laughing  at  me. 

But  when  we  were  in  the  Castle  I  liked  it.  We 
went  over  a  very  deep  ditch  with  some  water  in  it,  on 
a  draw-bridge,  and  then  up  a  steep  stone  walk  with 
high  walls  on  both  sides ;  and  there  were  so  many 
soldiers,  too,  everywhere  ;  and  when  we  reached  a  great 
broad  place,  there  were  great  guns,  and  they  pointed 


HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS.  23 

off  toward  tlie  sea.  We  could  look  down  upon  the 
city,  and  see  all  the  houses  and  people,  and  it  w^as 
very  beautiful.  Then  we  went  up  higher  still,  and 
went  into  a  house,  and  saw  some  beautiful  gold  things 
in  a  case  :  a  crown,  and  a  sword,  and  a  ring,  and  some 
more.  These  were  called  the  Crown  Jewels,  and  are 
worth  so  much  that  some  one  sits  by  them  all  the  time  to 
watch  them.  Then  w^e  went  into  another  door  and  saw 
some  gloomy  looking  rooms,  where  poor  Queen  Mary 
was  kept  prisoner  once,  though  I  do  n't  know  much 
about  it,  and  her  portrait  hung  on  the  wall.  Oh,  it 
was  so  beautiful !  We  went  into  another  building  and 
saw  great  rooms  full  of  guns  and  pistols  and  old 
armor,  such  as  the  soldiers  used  to  wear.  We  saw 
some  more  things,  for  this  Castle  is  very  large  and 
strong,  and  w^e  waited  till  it  was  time  for  Jessie  and 
Maggie  to  meet  us,  and  then  we  all  walked  home  to- 
gether to  dinner. 

I  wish  you  had  been  with  us,  Susie  ! 


24  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


Seventh  Letter. 

EDINBUKGH. 

Dear  Susie  : 

When  we  went  to  Holyrood  Palace,  we  did  n't  go 
through  the  same  streets  we  did  when  we  went  to  the 
Castle,  but  we  turned  a  little  out  of  the  way,  so  that 
we  could  have  a  good  run  on  Calton  Hill.  There  is  a 
great  prison  and  some  handsome  houses  on  one  side 
of  it,  and  on  the  top  are  a  great  many  monuments. 
I  wondered  if  s'ome  great  battle  had  not  been  fought, 
just  as  there  was  on  that  hill  near  Boston  where  Bun- 
ker Hill  monument  is  ;  but  Jessie  said  that  some  of 
the  most  distinguished  men  of  the  country  had  been 
buried  on  that  hill,  and  those  were  their  monuments. 
But  on  one  side,  away  from  the  city,  there  were  walks 
laid  out  in  the  green  grass,  and  we  had  the  ver}^  nicest 
place  to  play  "catch"  ;  only  we  had  to  be  careful  and 
not  run  onto  the  white  clothes  which  the  washerwomen 
were  all  the  time  spreading  out.  Was  n't  it  a  good 
place  to  bleach  clothes?  Margaret  took  care  of  us, 
and  she  said  that  the  poor  women  were  allowed  a  cer- 
tain part  of  the  grass  on  that  side  to  dry  their  clothes. 


HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS.  25 

But  it  rains  so  much  in  Scotland;  or  it  does  while  we 
are  here,  that  I  shouldn't  think  clothes  would  dry  very 
soon.  Why,  every  time  we  go  out,  Susie,  each  of  us 
take  a  little  umbrella  for  fear  it  may  rain  ! 

After  we  had  chased  each  other  down  the  hill,  we 
went  to  the  Palace,  and  I  was  a  good  deal  disappoint- 
ed, for  it  looked  gloomy,  I  thought.  But  it  is  in  such 
a  pretty  place,  with  green  fields  behind  it,  and  a  great 
high  mountain,  called  Arthur's  Seat,  off  at  one  side, 
and  on  the  other  side  are  city  houses,  and  just  before 
it  is  one  end  of  that  old  High  Street  I  wrote  you 
about.  The  Castle  is  at  one  end  and  the  Palace  at 
the  other. 

I  was  almost  afraid  to  go  past  the  two  soldiers  who 
were  marching  in  front  of  the  door,  but  Maggie 
laughed  at  me,  so  I  took  one  of  her  hands  and  one  of 
Jessie's,  and  we  all  went  in  to  the  great  square,  which 
has  the  Palace  all  around  it.  I  wished  I  knew  more 
about  Queen  Mary,  who  used  to  live  there ;  but  Jessie 
promised  to  lend  me  a  little  book  about  her,  and  I  am 
going  to  read  it  to-day.  Ask  your  mother,  Susie,  to 
tell  you  about  her,  too. 

We  saw  a  great  many  rooms  filled  with  pictures 
and  very  old  furniture ;  and  some  of  the  rooms  were 
very  small  and  had  little  windows;  but  I  didn't  like 
any  of  them,  and  Maggie  said  she  shouldn't  like  to 
be  a  queen,  if  she  had  to  live  there.  There  were  a 
great  many  people  in  Queen  Mary's  rooms,  and  we 
saw  her  bed,  and  work-box,  and  the  little  fire-place 


26  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

where  slie  had  a  fire,  and  on  one  side  of  the  room 
hung  great  pieces  of  her  worsted  work.  Jessie  lifted 
up  one  corner,  and  there  was  a  door,  which  we  could 
not  open,  and  some  one  told  us  that  tliere  were  the 
stairs  where  some  wicked  men  came  up  and  mur- 
dered one  of  the  gentlemen  who  were  sitting  at  her 
tea-table,  when  she  had  company.  We  peeped  into 
the  little  room  where  the  company  had  been  that 
night,  but  it  did  n't  seem  as  though  there  was  room 
enough  for  people  to  sit  around  a  table.  After  we 
had  seen  all  we  wanted  to,  we  thought  it  would  be  so 
nice  to  go  from  these  old  cheerless  looking  rooms  to 
the  other  part  of  the  Palace,  where  are  some  splendid 
rooms  where  Queen  Victoria  lives  when  she  comes  to 
Edinburgh ;  but  the  guards  would  n't  let  us  go  in.  So 
we  all  looked  into  the  old  stone  chapel  where  Queen 
Mary  used  to  go  very  often  to  hear  the  priest,  for 
Jessie  said  she  was  a  Roman  Catholic.  I  hope  it 
did  n't  look  then  as  it  does  now,  for  the  windows  are 
all  gone,  and  the  stones  are  all  black  with  the  great 
fire  which  burned  it,  and  the  ivy  is  growing  all  around. 
I  picked  some,  and  perhaps  I  can  send  you  a  leaf  in 
this  letter. 

I  do  n't  think  you  will  like  this  letter  much,  Susie, 
for  I  can't  tell  about  such  things  very  well.  I  like  to 
write  better  about  our  plays.  We  did  n't  play  much, 
though,  when  we  went  home  from  the  Palace,  for  we 
went  through  the  High  street,  and  we  had  to  be  care- 
ful and  not  get  run  over.    A  great  boy  almost  knocked 


HELEN    OK    HER    TRAVELS. 


Maggie  down  when  she  was  just  going  along  on  the 
sidewalk.  Oh,  you  never  saw  such  strange  things 
and  such  odd  looking  houses  as  there  are  on  that 
street.  They  run  long  poles  out  from  the  upper  win- 
dows and  hang  all  their  clothes  on  them  to  dry.  Jessie 
pointed  out  one  very  old  house,  and  said  a  minister 
used  to  live  there  who  talked  a  great  deal  to  Queen 
Mary  about  being  so  wicked  as  to  be  a  E-oman  Catho- 
lic, and  she  was  afraid  of  him.  She  said  his  name  was 
John  Knox. 

We  are  going  away  from  Edinburgh  before  long, 
Susie.     I  am  so  sorry  ! 


28  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 


Eighth  Letter. 

EDINBUKGH. 
Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

I  am  not  waiting  this  letter  in  Maggie's  house,  because 
papa  said  we  had  made  such  a  long  visit  that  we  must 
go  away  and  find  some  pleasant  rooms,  and  live  as 
people  do  when  they  come  to  Edinburgh  and  have  n't 
any  friends  to  visit.  Papa  says  it  is  called  taking 
lodgings,  and  people  in  America  don't  know  much 
about  it ;  but  we  think  it  is  a  very  nice  way  to  live, 
though  I  am  lonely  enough  without  my  little  friends. 
So  we  have  some  rooms  to  ourselves,  and  the  lady  we 
live  with  buys  anything  we  want  her  to,  and  cooks 
anything  for  us ;  and  we  have  our  meals  in  our  sitting- 
room  by  ourselves,  and  it  seems  almost  as  though  we 
Avere  at  home  again.  Almost  every  night  at  tea  I 
have  a  little  marmalade  to  eat  with  my  bread.  You 
would  n't  like  it  at  first,  Susie,  because  it  is  made  of 
bitter  oranges ;  but  by  and  by  you  would  like  it  as 
much  as  I  do,  I  think.  We  buy  it  in  little  white  jars, 
and  I  '11  try  and  keep  an  empty  one  to  carry  home. 


HELEN    OX    HEK    TRAVELS.  29  t 

The  butter  we  have  is  all  fresli,  for  the  Scotch  peo- 
ple like  it  the  best ;  and  we  have  such  great  loaves  of 
bread  that  anybody  in  America  would  wonder  what 
kind  of  a  plate  to  put  them  on.  And  we  make  our  tea 
as  the  Scotch  ladies  do,  they  make  such  nice  tea, 
mamma  says.  The  ladies  here  pour  a  litle  boiling 
water  on  to  great  deal  of  tea,  and  then  cover  the  tea- 
pot with  something  thick  that  looks  just  like  a  hood 
for  it,  and  then  when  this  has  stood  a  few  minutes, 
they  pour  on  some  more  boiling  water,  and  then  it  is 
read}^  I  saw  a  lady  do  so  where  I  was  last  week. 
Oh,  I  almost  forgot  to  tell  you  where  I  was  last  week. 

I  said  good  bye  to  Jessie  and  Maggie  and  Jackie, 
(though  I  shall  see  them  again  before  I  go  to  London,) 
and  went  with  papa  and  mamma  to  see  a  lady  who 
lives  in  a  little  village  a  few  miles  from  Edinburgh. 
I  like  a  little  village,  do  n't  you,  Susie  ?  such  as  we 
have  in  America,  I  mean !  This  one  was  n't  much 
like  it,  for  the  houses  were  all  of  stone,  and  the  long 
street  which  runs  through  it  was  very  narrow,  and 
there  was  a  high  stone  wall  on  both  sides  covered 
with  green  moss.  Some  of  the  houses  looked  pretty, 
though,  for  the  ivy  grew  all  over  the  front.  Just 
think,  Susie,  this  is  the  same  kind  of  ivy  that  grows 
in  little  pots  in  America  in  the  houses;  they  have 
some  at  my  grandpa's.  , 

I  had  a  pretty  nice  time  at  this  lady's,  only  I  had 
nobody  to  play  with,  and  onl}^  one  or  two  books  to 
read.     The  furniture  in  her  rooms  was  very  nice,  and 


30  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

in  tlie  sitting  room  the  chairs  were  polished  so  that  if 
anybody  touched  them  it  would  leave  a  mark ;  and  the ' 
lady  asked  me  to  be  very  careful  of  my  fingers.  I 
kept  forgetting,  and  then  she  said  she  could  give  me 
none  of  her  nice  jelly  till  she  saw  I  never  touched 
them.  I  tried  hard  not  to  forget,  but  I  did,  Susie, 
and  I  hardly  got  a  taste  of  the  jelly.  I  was  so  sorry, 
for  it  troubled  mamma  very  much  to  have  me  so 
thoughtless ;  and  then  the  jelly  looked  so  very  nice.  " 
She  was  a  very  kind  lady,  though,  and  once  she  sent 
me  in  America  a  beautiful  great  wax  doll,  as  large  as 
your  pretty  one. 

When  we  came  back  to  Edinburgh  mamma  took 
me  one  day  to  see  two  more  little  Scotch  girls,  and  I 
loved  them  very  much.  One  was  Maggie  and  the 
other  Mary,  and  we  played  tea  sets  together,  and  their 
mamma  allowed  us  to  have  some  real  things  to  eat. 
But  at  supper  time  I  drank  some  strong  tea ;  and  I 
staid  all  night,  and  Maggie  and  I  couldn't  get  to 
sleep  till  after  midnight.  I  do  n't  believe  that  tea  is 
very  good  for  little  girls. 

But  Susie,  I  can't  write  any  more,  and  to-morrow  I 
must  pack  all  my  doll's  clothes,  for  we  are  going  to 
.  London,  and  we  are  all  going  to  take  dinner  at  the 
Crescent,  where  Jessie  lives,  and  then  we  shall  have 
to  say  good  bye..  Shouldn't  you  be  sorry,  Susie,  if 
you  were  in  my  place  ?  When  I  get  to  London  I  shall 
write  you  some  more  letters. 

Mamma  sends  you  her  love,  and  I  send  you  a  kiss. 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  31 


NiXTH  Letter. 

LONDON. 
My  dear  Cousin  : 

I  do  n't  know  what  I  shall  tell  yon  about  first ;  for 
there  is  so  much  I  shall  want  to  say. 

We,  didn't  much  think,  last  summer,  Susie,  when 
we  were  playing  together  at  your  house,  that  I  should 
be  in  London  so  soon.  I  do  n't  like  it  yet  as  well  as 
I  did  Edinburgh.  We  had  such  a  cold  ride  when  we 
came  to  London,  for  we  were  in  the  cars  a  whole  night 
and  some  of  the  day-time,  too.  And  when  we  stopped 
in  the  station,  and  saw  all  the  guards,  and  such  crowds 
of  people,  I  thought  we  should  certainly  be  lost.  And 
when  we  rode  in  a  carriage  to  our  rooms,  w^e  went 
through  so  many  streets,  and  turned  so  many  corners, 
and  heard  so  much  noise  that  mamma  and  I  thought 
we  should  n't  dare  to  walk  out  much  this  winter. 

But  it  is  very  quiet  and  pleasant  here  in  our  sitting- 
room,  and  the  bright  coal  fire  makes  the  place  look  so 
cheerful.  Did  I  tell  you,  Susie,  that  everybody  here 
has  a  fire  in  an  open  grate,  instead  of  in  stoves,  as  we 
do  ?  and  in  Scotland,  too. 


32  HELEN    ON    HEli 'Tl^AVELS. 

I  have  got  my  story  books  and  my  doll's  things  all 
unpacked,  and  put  away  in  a  drawer ;  and  I  am  afraid 
I  can 't  play  with  them  mnch,  now,  for  there  are  so 
many  places  for  us  to  go  to,  and  the  days  are  so  short, 
here,  that  it  is  dark  almost  before  we  haf  e  seen  any- 
thing. And  we  do  n't  have  any  sunshine  at  all,  Susie, 
but  there  is  a  great  deal  of  smoke  and  fog,  and  the 
streets  and  the  houses  look  very  gloomy,  I  think.  The 
first  day  after  we  came  here  papa  took  me  to  walk, 
and  if  I  should  tell  you  what  crowds  of  people  I  saw, 
and  how  many  carriages  of  all  kinds,  and  how  many 
policemen,  you  would  think  my  eyes  couldn't  see 
right.  We  kept  w^alking  on  till  we  came  to  a  great 
building,  the  very  largest  and  the  most  beautiful  I 
ever  saw ;  and  it  was  made  of  stone  of  such  a  pretty 
color,  and  had  such  beautiful  statues  and  ornaments 
all  over  it ;  and  at  one  end  was  a  great  tower  with  a 
splendid  clock  in  it.  Oh,  it  looked  as  though  it  was 
all  gold,  Susie !  and  there  was  another  tower  at  the 
other  end,  and  that  was  different  but  just  as  beautiful. 
Papa  said  these  great  buildings  w^ere  called  the  Houses 
of  Parliament,  and  it  was  the  place  where  the  great 
men  of  England  met  to  talk  about  what  was  best  for 
the  people.  Because  it  was  Saturday  we  could  go 
in  ;  so  papa  found  the  office  where  the  tickets  are  given 
out,  and  the  policemen  allowed  us  to  follow  the  other 
people  up  the  great  stairs.  And  there,  Susie,  it  was 
so  beautiful !  There  were  great  paintings,  and  statues, 
and  stained  glass  window^s  ;  and  we   went  into  tlie 


HELEN    OX    HEK    TRAVELS.  33 

great  hall  wliere  the  Queen's  throne  was.  Should  n't 
you  like  to  see  a  real  throne,  Susie?  There  were 
three  beautiful  chairs,  all  covered  with  red  velvet ;  the 
middle  one  was  for  the  Queen,  and  one  for  her  hus- 
band when  he  was  alive,  and  one  for  the  Prince  of 
Wales.  Papa  said  this  great  hall  was  called  the 
House  of  Lords,  and  he  would  show  me  another  one 
called  the  House  of  Commons. 

So  we  walked  on  through  beautiful  rooms,  and  when 
we  came  to  the  hall  we  found  it  was  different  from 
the  other,  and  I  did  n't  like  it  so  well ;  but  papa  said 
it  was  in  good  taste,  and  that  the  carving  was  ver}^ 
rich.  I  sat  down  a  minute  in  one  of  the  nice  seats, 
but  papa  couldn't  give  me  much  time  to  rest.  We 
went  out  a  different  way  from  the  one  we  came  in,  and 
saw  a  very  large  hall,  with  nothing  in  it,  and  it  did  n't 
look  pleasant.  Papa  said  that  was  the  old  hall,  and  a 
great  many  people  had  been  tried  in  courts  there,  and 
some  kings,  too.  I  am  going  to  have  Dickens'  Child's 
History  of  England  out  of  Mudie's  library  to  read, 
and  then  I  shall  know  more  about  what  they  used  to 
do  there. 

When  we  were  on  the  street  again,  two  or  three 
men  and  boys  ran  up  to  us,  and  said  to  papa,  "  Show 
you  the  Abbey,  sir  ?  "  I  could  n't  think  what  they 
meant;  but  papa  said  to  them,  "No,  I  have  been  there 
often  -before."  ' '  Where,  papa  ?  "  I  said.  "  To  West- 
minster Abbey,  which  you  can  see  just  across  the 
street."     I  saw  then  a  great,  dark  looking  stone  build- 


34  HELEN  o:n^  her  travels. 

mg,  as  large  as  three  or  four  cliurclies  together,  I 
should  think ;  and  papa  said  some  day  when  mamma 
was  with  us,  we  would  go  in  to  see  it.  I  have  heard 
ahout  it  before,  have  n't  you,  Susie  ? 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  35 


Tenth  Letter. 

LOIS'DOI^. 

Dear  Cousin  Susie  : 

Do  you  wake  up  as  early  in  the  morning  as  you 
used  to?  I  have  to  wake  up  early,  for  there  are  so 
many  noises  and  shouts  that  I  can't  sleep.  When  we 
were  in  Edinhurgh,  the  hugle  call  in  the  Castle  used 
to  be  the  first  thing  I  heard  every  morning  before  it 
was  light ;  and  now  it  is  the  cries  of  all  the  people 
who  have  anything  to  sell;  and  it  seems  to  last  all 
day,  too,  for  there  is  something  being  called  out  all  the 
time.  Do  you  remember,  Susie,  that  little  blue  book  that 
my  uncle  Will  brought  me  home  from  London,  called 
"  London  Cries  "  ?  Well,  the  people  here  do  look  and 
shout  just  as  they  do  in  that  book.  Men  and  women 
bring  along  oranges,  and  apples,  and  images,  and  old 
iron,  and  scouring  stone,  and  glass  ware ;  and  Jew 
men  come  with  a  pile  of  old  clothes  on  their  backs,  or 
a  lot  of  old  hats  piled  one  above  the  other  on  their 
heads ;  and  little  boys  and  girls  come  to  sing  and 
dance,  hoping  somebody  will  give  them  a  penny,  and 


36  HELEN    OjST    HER    TRAVELS. 

sometimes  very  old  men  and  women  do  tliis  also ;  and 
organ  men  come  with  their  organs  and  monkeys  5  hut 
almost  the  only  cry  I  like  to  hear  or  care  anything 
ahout,  is  my  little  water-cress  girl's.  I  call  her  so 
hecause  she  is  a  poor  little  girl  who  comes  along  every 
night  with  fresh  flowers  and  water  cresses,  and  mamma 
allows  me  to  give  her  a  penny  and  huy  some  cresses. 
She  calls  out  "water  cre-e-sees/'  in  such  a  sad  kind  of 
tone,  hut  she  always  smiles  when  she  gets  her  penny. 

I  have  heen  here  now  so  many  days  that  I  am  a 
little  accustomed  to  the  noise,  hut  when  we  walk  out 
I  do  n't  like  to  cross  the  streets,  for  there  are  carriages 
coming  hoth  ways  all  the  time,  and  when  we  are 
crossing  over  there  is  almost  always  a  little  street 
sweeper  clinging  to  us,  and  hegging  for  money.  Oh, 
there  are  a  great  many  heggars  here  in  the  streets, 
Susie !  and  they  come  up  to  me  sometimes,  the  hoys  and 
girls  with  matches  to  sell,  and  say :  "  Only  ha'  penny 
a  hox,  miss ;  please  miss,  a  penny  ! "  or,  "  Please  good 
miss,  please  good-  miss,  a  little  money,  please  good 
miss ! " 

There  is  such  a  pretty  place  not  far  from  where  we 
live,  that  I  wish  you  could  see,  Susie !  It  is  called  the 
Arcade,  and  it  seems  like  a  great  many  stores  all  put 
together,  there  are  so  many  pretty  things  of  all  kinds, 
and  the  prices  are  very  cheap,  /  think,  hut  mamma 
says  she  shall  not  huy  me  many  playthings  here,  hut 
wait  till  we  get  to  Germany,  hecause  that  is  the 
country  for  toys. 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  37 

Where  do  you  think  we  all  went  clay  before  yester- 
day? Guess  the  Crystal  Palace,  Susie,  because  that 
was  the  place.  I  had  been  very  impatient  to  go'  there 
to  see  a  great  house  all  of  glass,  and  it  was  more  beau- 
tiful than  I  thought  it  would  be.  We  had  to  ride  a 
little  while  in  the  cars  to  get  there,  and  then  we  stayed 
all  day.  I  can't  tell  you  half  we  saw  !  for  there  were 
stuffed  animals,  and  trees  and  flowers  brought  from 
other  countries,  and  strange-looking  houses,  such  as 
people  used  to  live  in  in  other  countries,  and  statues, 
and  all  kinds  of  pretty  toys  and  books,  and  wild  ani- 
mals, too,  all  alive,  and  great  halls  for  concerts,  and 
such  a  great  organ,  and  so  many  other  things,  and  all 
in  this  great  glass  palace  !  Just  think  how  light  it 
would  be,  all  made  of  glass  !  I  told  mamma  it  looked 
some  like  the  fairy  land  I  had  read  about  in  a  story 
book. 

We  saw  one  place  where  Bibles  were  sold;  and  papa 
bought  a  German  Testament  for  me  to  read  when  we 
get  to  Germany,  and  he  bought  me  a  beautiful  little 
glass  vase  ;  but  I  have  broken  it.     Is  n't  it  too  bad  ? 

We  had  some  nice  dinner  there,  too,  and  I  was 
real  hungry.  It  was  so  nice  to  eat  in  such  a  beautiful 
place.  Papa  was  impatient  to  get  a  seat  before  the 
great  organ,  because  there  was  to  be  a  fl.ne  concert, 
and  so  many  people  were  there  ;  but  I  cared  more  to  see 
Tom  Thumb  and  his  family  than  to  hear  the  organ ; 
for  they  were  going  to  come  out  on  the  platform  after 
the  music  ^\'as  through.     I  saw  them  all  in  America 


38  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

once  when  I  was  witli  Mary  and  Annie ;  and  I  was 
glad  I  did ;  for  in  the  Crystal  Palace,  the  gentlemen 
crowded  before  me  so  I  could  hardly  see.  But  they 
sung  and  appeared  as  pretty  as  they  always  do,  and 
I  like  to  see  them  very  much,  though  papa  and  mam- 
ma said  it  seemed  so  ridiculous  to  see  sensible  people 
care  for  such  nonsense.  But  little  children  can't  be 
very  sensible,  can  they,  Susie  ?  at  any  rate  we  do  like 
to  see  little  Tom  Thumb  and  his  little  wife,  do  n't  we  ? 
When  we  went  home  in  the  evening  I  slept  all  the 
way. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  39 


Eleve^^th  Lettee. 

londo:n'. 

Dear  Susie: 

It  snowed  almost  all  clay  yesterday,  and  to-day  it  is 
raining,  so  tliat  I  can't  go  out.  I  liave  been  playing 
with  my  doll,  and.  have  sewed  a  little  for  her,  (my  kind 
of  sewing,  you  know,)  and  now  I  do  n't  know  what  to 
do,  unless  I  write  to  you. 

I  was  delighted  yesterday  when  I  saw  the  snow,  for 
I  thought  everything  would  look  as  clean  and  white 
as  it  does  at  home ;  but  just  as  soon  as  the  pretty 
flakes  touched  the  ground  they  melted  in  the  thick 
black  mud,  and  helped  to  make  the  walking  worse 
than  it  was  before.  It  seems  to  me  that  nothing  does 
look  clean  in  London  in  the  winter  time;  and  the 
smoke  and  yellow  fog  really  blackens  anything  white 
in  our  rooms.  Why,  Susie,  we  have  our  white  muslin 
curtains  changed  eYevj  fortnight,  for  they  do  n't  keep 
clean  any  longer. 

Shall  I  tell  you  about  the  Tower,  or  the  Tunnel,  or 
St.  Paul's,  or  the  Parks,  first,  Susie  ?  for  I  have  been 
to  see  all  these  places  since  I  wrote  about  the  Crystal 


40  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

Palace.  I  believe  I  liked  the  Parks  best,  so  I  will  tell 
about  the  others  afterwards.  We  do  n't  live  far  from 
St.  James'  Park,  and  when  it  is  pleasant,  that  is,  w^hen 
the  sun  tries  to  shine,  I  go  out  there  to  play.  It  is 
some  like  Boston  Common,  though  it  isn't  all  covered 
with  grass,  but  has  a  great  many  little  gardens  of 
flowers.  There  are  great  trees,  too,  and  a  beautiful 
pond  in  the  centre,  with  a  nice  litlle  bridge  over  it. 
All  the  walks  have  seats  for  anybody  who  is  tired,  but 
I  do  n't  see  man}/^  children  sitting  to  rest.  Oh,  I  think 
I  never  saw  so  many  children  as  there  are  here  every 
afternoon !  Just  as  soon  as  they  are  out  of  school 
they  come  here  to  play  all  kinds  of  plays,  and  they 
can't  get  into  much  mischief,  for  the  policemen  are 
always  ready  to  see  it.  The  grass  is  very  green  here, 
though  it  is  winter,  and  some  poor  little  children  with 
hardly  any  clothes  on,  sit  and  roll  for  a  long  time  on 
the  cold,  wet  grass.  I  should  have  the  croup  if  I  did 
so.  Because  I  have  no  little  girls  to  play  with  me,  I 
like  best  to  feed  the  pretty  swans  and  ducks  in  the 
pond ;  and  so  every  time  I  go,  I  carry  bread  crumbs 
for  them  ;  and  they  are  so  tame  they  will  come  up  on 
the  shore  and  eat  from  my  hand.  Oh,  would  n't  it  be 
so  nice  if  you  were  here,  Susie  ! 

Sometimes  we  walk  through  this  park,  to  Green 
Park ;  that  is  not  so  pretty,  but  it  is  just  beside  the 
Queen's  Palace,  and  then  Ave  go  on  to  Hjde  Park. 
That  is  the  most  beautiful !  and  splendid  carriages  are 
all  the  time  driving  through  with  very  rich  people  in 


HELEN    0^    HER    TRAYELS.  41 

them,  and  gentlemen  and  ladies  are  riding  horseback ; 
and  instead  of  a  pond  in  the  middle  is  a  winding  river, 
with  such  a  large  bridge  over  it.  We  were  there  one 
afternoon  when  the  sun  was  really  shining;  and  it 
seemed  like  fairy  land,  for  there  were  so  many  people 
and  all  looked  so  happy.  Little  boys  were  sailing 
their  boats  on  the  water,  and  little  girls  like  me  were 
driving  hoop  ;  and  they  seemed  to  enjoy  it  more  really 
than  the  princes  and  princesses  did  riding  in  their 
handsome  coaches.  * 

I  had  such  a  surprise  one  day  when  we  were  going- 
home,  through  St.  James'  Park.  We  saw  a  great 
crowd  of  men  and  women  around  the  gates  of  Buck- 
ingham Palace,  and  the  flag  was  up,  too,  so  it  made 
papa  think  that  the  Queen  was  coming  out  to  ride.  I 
begged  him  to  stay,  too,  for  I  wanted  so  much  to  see 
Queen  Victoria,  she  is  called  such  a  good  queen ;  and 
then  I  thought  she  would  have  such  a  splendid  dress, 
and  look  like  the  pictures  we  see  of  queens.  So  we 
waited  and  waited,  but  a  great  many  carriages  came 
before  hers,  of  people  who  had  been  to  visit  her ;  and 
her  son,  the  Prince  of  Wales,  rode  by  us  on  horse- 
back, and  afterwards  his  wife.  I  thought  she  had  a 
beautiful  face,  and  she  smiled  and  bowed  to  all  the 
people.  But  at  last  the  policemen  pushed  us  back, 
and  another  great  gate  opened,  and  an  elegant  car- 
riage with  four  horses  came  out.  There  were  two  men 
for  drivers  in  front,  and  two  men  behind,  and  they 
were  all  dressed  alike ;  papa  lifted  me  up,  and  because 


42  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

everybody  pressed  forward  so^  I  knew  it  must  be  the 
Queen.  But  she  didn't  look  like  a  queen  at  all, 
Susie,  though  papa  said  she  was.  She  was  dressed 
like  any  other  lady,  only  in  black,  because  her  hus- 
band has  died ;  but  she  had  such  a  kind  face,  and 
looked  so  good,  that  I  began  to  love  her,  and  I  think  I 
like  her  better  because  her  dress  is  so  plain  when  she 
goes  out  to  ride.     There  was  a  little  girl  with  her. 

Oh  dear,  Susie,  I  have  written  up  all  my  paper, 
and  have  so  much  more  to  write  !  Next  time  I  w411 
certainly  tell  about  the  Tunnel  and  the  Tower. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  43 


Twelfth  Letter. 

LONDON. 

Dear  Susie  : 

Yon  remember  I  told  you  when  we  went  to  the 
Crystal  Palace,  we  went  in  the  cars ;  when  we  went 
to  the  Tower,  we  had  a  steamboat  ride.  It  was  a  dark 
day,  just  like  all  the  London  days ;  but  papa  said  I 
should  like  to  see  the  great  river  Thames,  and  all  the 
great  ships  and  little  boats  on  it.  I  used  to  call  it  the 
river  Thams,  until  I  heard  papa  pronounce  it  like 
Tems,  and  now  I  remember  the  right  way. 

We  had  such  a  nice  ride  !  only  I  was  a  little  afraid 
that  our  little  steamboat  would  be  run  down  by  some 
great  ship ;  and  the  river  looked  like  a  great  broad 
sti*eet,  only  made  of  water,  and  all  the  ships  and 
steamboats  and  little  boats  like  diiferent  kinds  of  car- 
riages; and  there  were  so  many, —  some  going  down, 
some  coming  up,  and  some  steering  across, — that  I 
w^ondered  how  Our  captain  could  guide  us  safely.  We 
had  a  fine  view*  of  some  of  the  great  houses,  and  after 
a  while  we  saw  St.  Paul's  Cathedral.  I  knew  it  must 
be  St.  Paul's,  because  the  great  dome  was  just  like 


44  HELEX    OX    HEK    TRAVELS. 

some  pictures  I  liad  seen.  But,  Susie,  did  you  ever 
read  "  Rollo  in  London  "  ?  If  you  have  you  will  hot 
care  to  have  me  write  much  about  the  river  itself,  nor 
anything  to  be  seen  from  it,  because  that  book  makes 
the  story  of  it  much  more  interesting  than  my  letter 
can. 

When  we  reached  London  Bridge,  (it  is  n't  the  only 
bridge  in  London,  Susie,  but,,  it  is  a  great  bridge  called 
London  Bridge,)  our  boat  stopped,  and  papa  said  we 
must  walk  the  rest  of  the  way  to  the  Tower,  and  then 
we  wolild  have  a  good  chance  to  see  that  part  of  the 
city ;  but  it  was  n't  a  very  pretty  part,  and  I  was  glad 
enough  when  we  reached  the  great  gate  of  the  Tower. 
We  went  through  it  and  then  into  a  little  room  to  get 
our  tickets,  where  we  w^aited  till  some  more  people 
joined  us ;  then  a  man  came  dressed  in  the  funniest 
kind  of  style,  and  said  he  w^as  our  guide.  We  saw 
some  more  guides,  and  they  were  all  alike,  just  as  the 
prison  keepers  used  to  be  wdien  a  bad  king  lived,  called 
Henry  the  Eighth,  papa  said. 

We  followed  him  through  a  great  stone  gate,  where 
something  that  looked  like  a  great  saw  w^ith  heav}^ 
iron  teeth,  hung  just  over  our  heads ;  and  we  saw 
great  iron  doors  that  they  used  to  shut  up  inside  of 
the  gate.  Oh,  we  saw  some  dreadful  things !  The 
buildings  were  all  black  and  gloomy  looking,  made  of 
stone,  and  with  such  little  wdndow^s  ;  a'nd  we  went  up 
dark,  narrow  stairs,  and  looked  into  little  rooms  w^here 
prisoners  used  to  live.     In  one  room  the  wall  was 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  45 

covered  with  their  names  and  what  they  had  written. 
And  we  went  into  one  little  room  without  a  window 
in  it ;  and  it  was  made  in  the  wall,  with  a  little  door, 
too,  and  that  was  where  a  great  man  called  Sir  Wal- 
ter K-aleigh  used  to  sleep.  He  had  a  pleasanter  room 
to  vmte  in,  but  he  could  n't  go  out  of  it,  for  he  was 
kept  a  prisoner. 

There  was  a  great  block  there,  and  a  great  blade 
fastened  over  it ;  and  it  used  to  be  for  prisoners  to  be 
killed  upon.  I  put  my  head  down  on  it,  and  the 
knife  hung  right  over  my  throat,  just  in  the  way'it  did 
over  theirs.  We  saw  all  kinds  of  iron  things  to  tor- 
ture people  with,  and  I  had  a  pair  of  thumb  screws 
put  on  my  thumbs,  but  they  w^ere  n't  screwed  tight, 
but  it  made  me  afraid  only  to  see  them.  There  were 
great  rooms  fidl  of  guns  and  swords  and  pistols,  and 
some  of  them  v/ere  arranged  and  hung  up  in  the  form 
of  flowers ;  and  the  guide  explained  them  all  to  us. 
When  we  started  to  go  into  one  great  hall,  I  ran  back, 
for  on  both  sides  were  great  horses  side  by  side,  and 
men  on  their  backs  covered  with  steel  armor,  and  with 
swords  in  their  hands ;  and  I  could  see  some  little 
bo3^s,  too.  Wouldn't  you  have  hung  back,  Susie,  to 
see  all  those  dreadful  men  ?  But  they  all  laughed  at 
me;  for  after  all  they  were  not  real  men,  but  only 
imitation  men  and  stuffed  horses.  We  did  see  some- 
thing I  liked,  though !  We  saw  some  beautiful  crowns 
and  jewels  that  the  kings  and  queens  of  England  have 
worn.     I  should  like  to  try  a  crown  on  my  lie  ad,  for 


46 


HELEX    OlN    HER    TRAVELS. 


it  siDarkles  so  prettily  witli  the  gold  and  the  bright 
jewels ;  but  I  do  n't  understand  how  one  can  cost  so 
much  money.  But  if  I  do  n't  stop  writing  about  the 
Tower,  Susie,  I  can't  tell  much  about  the  Tunnel.  I 
wanted  to  see  that  so  much,  because  it  would  be  so 
strange  to  think  I  was  in  a  great  tunnel  under  a  river. 

When  we  came  to  it,  we  had  in  the  first  place  to 
go  down  very  long  flights  of  stairs ;  and  then  we  saw 
what  looked  like  a  very  long  tube,  large  enough  for 
people  to  walk  through ;  but  one  half  did  n't  seem  to 
be  used.  In  the  middle  were  little  booths  full  of 
pretty  things,  which  women  try  to  sell  to  everybody 
that  passes  through.  It  was  very  bright,  because  the 
gas  Avas  lighted ;  but  I  should  n't  like  to  live  day  after 
day  ifi  a  great  tube  under  a  river,  and  have  no  light 
but  gas  light,  should  you,  Susie  ?  Every  woman  that 
we  passed  would  call  out,  "'Please  buy, ^please  buy.'' 
At  each  end  were  little  tents  with  some  kind  of  exhi- 
bition in  them,  and  I  could  hear  music ;  but  papa  said 
we  should  only  lose  our  money,  for  there  was  nothing 
worth  seeing  in  them. 

What  a  funny  ending  for  a  letter ! 

Good  bye,  Susie. 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  47 


Thirteenth  Letter. 

L  ON"  DON. 

Dear  Susie  : 

I  knew  you  would  laugh  about  my  last  letter,  for 
the  last  part  was  n't  very  interesting,  I  was  so  tired 
before  I  finished.  I  ahnost  wish  mamma  would  allow 
me  to  wait  till  I  get  home,  and  tell  you  what  I  have 
seen,  instead  of  writing  so  many  letters.  She  says  I 
should  forget  a  great  deal  by.  that  time ;  and  I  know  I 
should,  because  every  week  I  forget  some  little  things 
I  want  to  write  about. 

Yesterday  was  Sabbath  day,  and  I  went  to  church 
in  the  greatest  church  I  ever  saw.  Do  you  remember 
I  told  you  I  had  the  promise  of  going  to-  see  West- 
minster Abbe}^  some  time  ?  Papa  thought  we  should 
like  to  go  there  to  service,  and  then  we  could  hear  the 
great  organ,  besides  the  minister's  sermon ;  but  as  we 
could  go  there  in  the  afternoon,  and  could  n't  to  the 
other  churches,  we  waited  and  went  to  hear  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  in  the  morning.  Did  n't  you  ever  hear  anybody 
talk  about  Mr.  Spurgeon,  Susie  ?  I  think  somebody 
told  me  that  the  Americans  generally  go  to  see  him 


48  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

and  hear  liim  preach  once,  because  lie  is  so  popular. 
I  do  n't  know  exactly  what  that  means ;  but  perhaps 
it  means  that  everybody  seems  to  crov/d  into  his 
church.  It  was  very  unpleasant  yesterday  morning, 
and  we  had  to  ride  all  the  way ;  not  because  it  rained, 
though,  but  because  London  is  so  large  that  we  have 
to  ride  to  a  great  many  places. 

We  thought  we  were  in  good  season ;  but  when  we 
went  in,  the  church  seemed  to  be  full,  and  still  the 
people  kept  coming.  It  was  such  a  great  church,  and 
so  many  people  can  sit  down  stairs,  and  then  there 
are  two  galleries,  one  above  the  other,  and  they  run 
around  the  whole  church.  The  place  where  the  min- 
ister stands  is  just  as  high  as  the  first  gallery,  and  of 
course  all  the  people  can  hear  him  very  well.  Papa 
said  he  had  almost  the  finest  voice  he  ever  heard. 
You  would  like  to  hear  all  the  people  sing  together, 
Susie ;  for  they  sing  as  though  they  enjoyed  it.  I 
liked  it  better  than  I  did  the  music  in  the  Abbey,  for 
at  Mr.  Spurgeon's  church  I  could  sing,  too. 

I  never  felt  so  strangely  in  any  church  as  I  did  in 
Westminster  Abbey  in  the  afternoon,  I  am  sure  I 
do  n't  know  why.  It  seemed  very  still  and  solemn ; 
and  though  the  daylight  came  in  through  the  stained 
glass  windows,  there  were  a  great  many  wax  tapers 
lighted.  All  around  were  white  monuments  and 
statues,  because  a  great  many  people  have  been  buried 
there;  and  when  it  became  darker,  they  seemed  to 
grow  whiter  in  the  candle  light,  while  all  the  dark 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  49 

shadows  behind  them,  and  in  the  great  arches,  looked 
blacker  and  blacker.  And  when  the  minister  had 
finished  preaching,  and  the  choir  began  to  sing  the 
closing  anthem,  and  we  could  hear  the  great  organ, 
I  put  my  face  down  in  mamma's  book,  and  didn't 
look  around  any  more,  but  listened  to  the  most  beauti- 
ful music.  Though  I  was  only  a  little  girl,  Susie,  it 
was  so  beautiful  I  would  like  to  have  heard  it  for 
hours ;  and  if  the  organ  began  to  play  very  loud,  so 
that  I  would  tremble,  almost  at  once  would  come  such 
soft,  sweet  sounds,  that  I  would  love  to  hear  it  again. 
I  think  if  I  live  to  be  an  old  lady  I  can  not  forget  the 
music  I  heard  yesterday  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

This  morning,  for  a  surprise,  the  sun  was  shining 
when  I  woke  up,  and  mamma  said  we  would  go  to  see 
Covent  Garden  Market.  Oh,  Susie,  I  do  wish  you 
could  see  all  the  things  they  have  to  sell  there !  all 
kinds  of  vegetables,  such  piles  and  piles  of  them ; 
those  are  out  doors ;  and  in  a  great  glass  house  are 
the  most  beautiful  flowers,  and  such  nice  fruit  and 
nuts.  Oh,  it  was  such  a  temptation  to  see  all  the 
oranges  and  grapes  and  figs  arranged  on  little  tables 
on  each  side  of  us,  and  to  find  that  the  prices  were  so 
high  that  my  pennies  wouldn't  buy  much.  But  it 
was  a  pleasure  to  see  such  nice  things ;  and  there  was 
so  much  sport  to  see  all  the  people  buying  and  selling. 
Once  in  a  while  mamma  would  allow  me  to  take  out 
my  little  pocket  book,  which  she  bought  for  me  in 
Edinburgh,  and  buy  something  for  a  penny  or  two ; 


50  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

and  the  great  market  women  looked  as  pleased  to  get 
my  penny  as  I  did  to  get  their  fruit.  Papa  says  that 
oranges  will  be  coming  in  more  and  more  every  week, 
and  pretty  soon  there  will  be  boys  and  girls  in  every 
street  selling  great  ripe  oranges.  I  wish  I  could  send 
you  one  in  a  letter. 

What  kind  of  a  hat  has  your  dolly,  Susie  ?  I  have 
forgotten.  I  want  mine  to  have  one,  but  mamma  says 
perhaps  I  had  better  wait  till  we  are  in  Germany, 
because  the  fashions  may  be  different  there. 

Now  I  am  going  to  sew ;  not  my  way,  but  mamma's 
way ;  and  that  is  so  hard.  , 


HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS.  51 


FOURTEEXTH  LETTER. 

LOND.OIS'. 
Deak  Cousin  Susie: 

Papa  and  mamma  have  gone  out  to  ride ;  and  be- 
cause I  am  so  tired  I  am  to  stay  at  home  to  rest  and 
to  write  to  you.  You  will  wonder  why  I  am  tired ; 
but  the  reason  is,  I  took  such  a  long  walk  this  morn- 
ing, and  went  to  the  top  of  St.  Paul's,  besides.  I  had 
been  into  that  great  church  before,  but  had  never 
climbed  to  the  top.  It  was  rather  hard  work.  Papa 
said  it  was  ten  years  since  he  had  done  so,  and 
I  am  sure  I  should  wish  to  wait  ten  years  before  I 
should  do  it  again. 

We  spent  some  time  in  wandering  around,  looking 
at  the  statues  and  monuments,  and  at  the  gTeat  organ 
and  the  beautiful  carving,  and  then  we  went  to  some 
stairs  in  the  side  of  the  church,  which  seemed  to  be 
made  in  the  wall.  Papa  paid  some  money  to  the  man 
who  staid  there;  and  then  we  went  up,  up,  till  we 
came  to  the  Whispering  Gallery.  This  is  a  narrow 
gallery  which  runs  around  the  inside  of  the  dome,  and 
seems  a  very  great  way  up  from  the  floor  of  the  church. 


52  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

It  almost  made  me  dizzy  to  look  down.  This  is 
called  the  Whispering  Gallery,  because  anybody  can 
hear  the  slightest  whisper,  or  the  ticking  of  a  watch, 
across  it.  The  gentleman  w^ho  took  our  tickets  sent 
us  to  the  side  of  the  gallery  opposite  to  him,  and  told 
us  to  put  our  heads  against  the  wall,  and  he  would 
put  his  mouth  to  the  wall  where  he  was,  and  speak  to 
us.  We  could  understand  all  he  said,  and  then  papa 
and  I  tried  it,  and  we  carried  on  a  nice  little  conver- 
sation together,  though  we  were  so  far  apart. 

Then  we  began  to  go  up  more  stairs,  again ;  and  we 
kept  on  and  on,  till  we  lost  all  light  from  the  little 
windows,  and  it  was  so  dark  we  could  not  in  some  places 
see  the  stairs ;  and  they  were  so  narrow,  too,  that  if  we 
met  people  coming  down  we  could  hardly  turn  out  for 
them.  But  you  know  my  papa  is  a  funny  man, 
and  he  kept  us  laughing  all  the  way ;  and  he  would 
tell  us  what  a  fine  prospect  we  should  have  of  London, 
when  we  were  really  at  the  top.  So  we  kept  stumbling 
up ;  but  when  we  reached  the  top,  and  stepped  out  on 
the  outside  platform,  v^e  could  see  hardly  anything 
but  a  great  sea  of  fog.  When  we  started  fi*om  home 
the  sun  was  shining ;  but  by  the  time  we  were  at  the 
top,  the  whole  air  w^as  full  of  fog,  and  the  sun  looked 
like  a  little  dull  red  ball.  I  was  disappointed  enough, 
and  did  n't  enjoy  the  going  down  as  well  as  the  going 
up.  Before  we  went  down,  though,  we  went  through 
a  little  door  at  one  side  of  4he  stairs,  and  found  we 
were  at  the  very  top  of  the  dome  in  the  inside.     Oh, 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  53 

it  was  SO  high  up  !  The  people  at  the  bottom  where 
we  had  been^  walking  about,  looked  like  the  little 
Lilliputians  I  read  about  once.  You  know  the  story^ 
do  n't  3^ou,  Susie  ? 

I  liked  my  visit  to  St.  Paul's  very  well,  and  I  should 
like  to  go  there  on  Sunday,  and  hear  that  great  organ. 
But  I  had  a  better  time  yesterday  afternoon.  Oh,  it 
was  such  a  beautiful  place  we  went  to !  and  such  beau- 
tiful things  we  saw ! 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  place  in  London  called 
Madame  Tussaud's,  Susie  ?  I  never  did  till  I  came 
here ;  but  papa  says  it  is  one  of  "  the  sights  "  which 
everybody  goes  to  see ;  and  if  people  like  it  as  much 
as  I  do,  I  do  n't  wonder  !  There  are  a  number  of 
splendid  halls  full  of  wax  people.  Mamma  called 
them  wax  figures ;  but  they  looked  just  as  if  they 
were  living  people.  They*  are  made  to  resemble  dis- 
tinguished people  who  have  lived,  and  who  are  living 
now;  and  of  course  they  are  all  very  different,  because 
each  figure  is  made  to  look  exactly  like  some  person  ; 
and  the  hair  and  the  eyes  and  the  whole  face  just 
as  much  like  life  as  can  be.  And  then  all  the  people 
are  dressed  in  the  same  kind  of  clothes  they  used  to 
wear. 

We  saw  all  the  kings  and  queens  of  England,  and  all 
the  present  E-oyal  Family,  and  all  the  kings  and  queens 
of  Europe,  too ;  and  all  the  distinguished  men  and 
women  of  all  countries ;  and  some  of  them  had  their 
little  children  beside  them,   and  there  were  two  or 


54  HELElsr    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

three  dear  little  babies.  Some  of  the  gentlemen  were 
dressed  like  officers,  and  the  kings  had  splendid  robes, 
and  the  ladies'  dresses  were  so  rich !  The  people 
didn't  stand  up  like  statues,  but  were  arranged  in 
little  groups  and  companies, —  some  sitting  and  some 
standing, —  so  that  they  all  seemed  to  be  alive  and 
talking  together.  Two  or  three  times  I  was  sure  they 
were  living  men  and  women.  There  was  a  wax  figure 
of  President  Lincoln  there ;  but  it  did  n't  look  as  good 
as  some  others.  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  more  about  it 
all,  for  I  staid  some  hours,  and  then  I  did  n't  want  to 
come  away.  It  is  called  Madame  Tussaud's,  because 
she  was  a  French  lady,  and  was  the  beginner  of  the 
collection  a  good  many  years  ago. 

Mamma  will  come  pretty  soon,  and  I  want  to  read 
a  little  before  she  comes. 


HELflX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  55 


Fifteenth  Letter. 

L  O  N^  D  O  N  . 
Dear  Susie  : 

I  wish  I  could  go  to  all  tlie  nice  places  that  pa25a  and 
mamma  do,  and  then  I  should  have  more  to  write  to 
you  about  than  I  do  now ;  but  they  often  leave  me  at 
home  in  the  daytime  when  they  go  to  visit  picture 
galleries  and  such  places ;  and  in  the  evenings  when 
they  go  to  concerts  and  oratorios  and  lectures,  I  am 
in  bed,  and  dreaming  about  you,  sometimes. 

Do  you  remember  I  told  you,  that  distinguished 
people  were  buried  in  Westminster  Abbey  ?  A  duke 
is  going  to  be  buried  there  this  week,  and  there 
will  be  a  great  funeral  and  a  great  procession  of  car- 
riages from  his  palace  to  the  Abbey.  Papa  says  he 
was  a  very  rich  man,  and  a  very  good  man,  too ;  and 
after  he  died  his  body  was  brought  from  his  castle  in 
the  country  to  the  palace  here,  and  will  lie  in  state  for 
a  few  days.  I  did  n't  know  exactly  what  that  meant, 
but  by  special  permission  we  were  allowed  to  go  into 
the  palace  to  see  the  "Lying  in  State  of  the  Duke  of 
jSTorthumberland,"  as  it  said  on  our  card.  The  police- 
men stood  at  the  great  iron  gate  of  the  palace,  but  as 
we  had  permission  they  allowed  us  to  go  through;  and 


56  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

after  we  had  crossed  a  square,  (wliicli  lias  the  palace 
built  around  it,)  we  entered  a  great  hall,  and  a  row  of 
servants  dressed  in  black,  with  wands  trimmed  with 
crape  in  their  hands,  pointed  the  way  to  the  room  where 
the  cof&n  was.  '  It  was  a  large  room,  and  it  looked 
very  gloomy ;  for  the  top  and  bottom  and  all  the  sides 
were  covered  wdth  black  cloth,  and  it  was  only  lighted 
by  wax  tapers.  The  coffin  was  in  the  centre,  and 
upon  it  rested  the  Duke's  badges,  and  his  sword  and 
his  coronet.  At  the  head  of  the  coffin,  hung  against 
the  wall  in  a  frame  many  badges  and  marks  of  honor 
he  had  received. 

The  room  was  so  still  and  black  and  solemn !  It 
all  seemed  very  different  from  anything  I  had  ever 
seen  before.  When  we  came  out  we  passed  through 
handsome  rooms,  and  saw  statues  and  beautiful  marble 
stairs ;  and  anybody  would  have  known  that  some 
very  rich  person  had  lived  there.  I  could  hardly  be- 
lieve that  the  great  man  who  had  owned  all  these  nice 
things  was  lying  shut  up  in  that  coffin.  It  has  made 
me  feel  very  sober,  since  I  came  home,  and  I  don't 
feel  much  like  telling  you  about  the  other  places  I  have 
seen  this  w^eek. 

I  have '  had  some  very  nice  times  with  some  little 
American  children  who  live  here  in  London.  Mary, 
Freddy,  and  How^ard  their  names  are.  Howard  is 
just  the  size  of  my  little  friend  Walter,  at  home,  and 
just  about  as  roguish.  They  do  n't  live  very  near  us, 
and  once  I  staid  all  night  with  them,  and  the  next  fore- 


HELEX    Olir    HEK    TRAVEL S.  57 

noon  I  went  to  their  Kindergarten  witli  tliem.  You 
won't  know  wliat  that  means,  perhaps,  hut  it  is 
the  name  of  their  schooL  It  is  a  kind  of  play  school, 
such  as  they  have  in  Germany,  and  I  like  it  very 
much.  Very  little  children  can  go,  and  they  learn  to 
make  pretty  things,  and  sing  nice  songs,  and  the  little 
girls  sew.  I  wish  I  could  go  to  one  in  America ;  but 
perhaps  when  we  are  in  G-ermany  I  can.  Papa  says 
there  are  a  very  few  now  in  America,  and  bye  and  bye 
there  will  be  more. 

Won't  it  be  nice  when  I  go  to  Germany,  Susie? 
There  will  be  so  many  new  things  to  see  I 

Papa  goes  every  morning  to  the  new  reading  room 
in  the  British  Museum  to  study,  and  I  have  been  there 
once  to  see  it.  It  is  the  very  nicest  ]_3lace  for  gentle- 
men to  study  I  ever  saw.  The  desks  are  so  convenient, 
and  it  is  very  light,  because  all  overhead  is  a  dome  of 
glass.  Besides  this  reading  room  and  some  great 
libraries,  there  is  almost  everything  else  *in  the  British 
Museum;  and  sometimes  mamma  and  I  have  spent 
almost  a  whole  day,  wandering  around,  looking  at  the 
curiosities,  and  the  statues,  and  the  s^tuiFed  animals 
and  birds,  and  the  precious  stones,  and  the  mummies, 
and  so  many  more  things  I  can  not  tell,  them  nearly 
all.  Perhaps  I  can  tell  more  about  it  next  time  if  I 
do  n't  forget  it. 

I  can't  write  many  more  letters  from  London,  be- 
cause winter  is  most  gone  ;  and  when  it  is  spring  we 
shall  go  to  Germany. 


58  HELEA'    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 


Sixteenth  Letter. 

LONDON. 
Dear  Susie  : 

Papa  lias  just  brought  me  some  American  apples ; 
thej  are  better  than  any  apples  that  grow  here,  and 
the  English  people  know  that,  too.  Did  n't  we  have 
nice  times  eating  apples  and  nuts  when  I  was  at 
your  house  ?  Last  night  for  tea  we  had  some  Ameri- 
can peaches,  too ;  mamma  bought  them  all  preserved 
in  a  great  glass  jar,  and  we  enjoyed  them  very 
much.  There  are  all  kinds  of  nice  things  to  eat,  here, 
such  nice  jellies  and  preserves,  and  such  pretty  little 
china  boxes  of  preserved  meats.  I  like  to  go  into  a 
bake  shop,  for  there  are  so  many  kinds  of  buns  and 
tarts.  All  the  shops  here  in  London  are  very  beauti- 
ful ;  I  mean  I  see  more  pretty  things  than  I  did  in 
Edinburgh,  and  every  time  we  go  out  to  walk,  I  want 
to  buy  a  great  many  things.  Almost  all  the  things 
in  the  shop  windows  have  the  prices  marked  upon 
them,  and  sometimes  things  are  very  cheap,  mamma 
says.  I  always  forget  about  the  money,  and  think 
one  penny  is  just  one  of  our  cents,  but  instead  of  that 
it  is  two  cents. 

If  you  ever  come  to  London,  Susie,  and  you  want 
to  see  the  prettiest  things  in  the  shops,  ask  your  papa 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  59 

to  take  you  to  Regent  street,  and  you  will  like  it  as 
well  as  I  do,  I  think.  I  can't  tell  you  what  nice  things 
there  are  there,  for  there  are  so  many ;  but  you  must 
be  careful,  if  you  try  to  cross  the  street,  or  you  will  be 
run  over,  there  are  so  many  carriages. 

Mamma  and  I  were  walking  along  Eegent  street 
the  other  day,  because  I  was  going  to  a  German  fair, 
to  see  children's  playthings ;  and  Mary  and  Freddy 
told  me  I  could  buy  ever  so  many  things  at  a  penny 
apiece.  While  we  were  going  on,  we  saw  a  poor 
little  boy  crying  so  hard ;  and  he  looked  so  cold  I 
did  n't  wonder  he "  cried.  He  had  n't  any  hat  on,  nor 
any  shoes  and  stockings ;  and  his  clothes  were  full  of 
holes.  He  did  n't  beg,  but  he  looked  up  to  mamma  as 
though  he  wanted  something ;  and  she  asked  me  if  I 
would  like  to  give  him  a  penny.  It  was  pretty  hard 
to  do  it ;  but  he  looked  so  thankful  when  mamma  told 
him  to  buy  himself  some  bread,  that  I  was  almost 
sorry  I  had  not  given  him  some  more.  But  there  are 
so  many  beggars,  Susie,  that  I  should  not  keep  one 
penny  if  I  gave  one  to  all  I  see ;  and  papa  says  some 
of  them  tell  wrong  stories  in  order  to  get  money.  I 
never  knew  before  that  there  were  so  many  very  rich 
looking  people  and  so  many  very  poor  looking  people 
in  the  world,  as  we  see  in  London  every  time  we  go 
out  to  walk. 

One  day,  not  long  ago,  it  was  so  warm  and  pleasant 
that  papa  said  he  would  not  go  to  the  British  Museum, 
but  would  take  us  to  see  all  the  wild  animals.     That 


60  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

was  one  of  the  places  I  liad  wanted  tlie  most  to  see, 
for  I  liad  read  about  the  Zoological  Gardens  in  our 
Guide  to  London,  (that  is  what  the  place  is  called, 
Susie.)  We  rode  so  long  before  we  got  there,  that  I 
thought  we  must  be  in  some  other  city  5  but  papa  said 
it  was  London  all  the  way. 

We  staid  there  almost  all  day,  and  I  saw  a,ll  the 
animals  I  ever  heard  of.  Some  of  them,  like  the  birds 
and  the  antelopes,  were  very  pretty  and  gentle,  and 
some  like  the  lions  and  bears  and  tigers  looked  so 
fierce,  I  was  afraid  of  them.  There  w^as  a  great  house 
made  of  glass  for  the  monkeys,  and  I  watched  them 
play  together  for  a  long  time,  and  they  seemed  to 
know  so  much  that  grown  up  people  could 'nt  help 
laughing  at  them.  Then  there  was  another  house 
full  of  parrots.  Oh,  such  a  noise  as  they  made,  all 
talking  at  once  !  The  great  bears  were  out  doors  in 
great  pens,  but  they  did  'nt  seem  to  be  cold.  I  saw  a 
great  white  bear  climb  a  pole,  and  papa  wondered  if 
he  could  climb  the  North  pole  so  well,  before  he  was 
brought  to  London.  But  papa  looked  so  roguish  I 
do  n't  think  he  was  in  earnest.  I  did  'nt  like  the  alli- 
gators nor  the  great  rhinoceros,  and  I  was  very  much 
afraid  of  the  large  black  animal  which  lives  sometimes 
in  the  water.  Papa  called  it  a  hippopotamus.  (Have 
I  spelt  it  right;  such  a  long  word?)  I  saw  some 
animals  that  I  should  like  for  my  pets,  they  were  so 
pretty.  I  hope  you  can  go  there  sometime,  Susie ! 
What  long  letters  I  do  write  I  dont  I  ? 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVEL  S.  61 


Seventeenth  Letter. 

LOKDON. 

Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

I  didn't  write  you  any  letter  last  week  because 
I  had  so  much  else  to  do.  I  went  shopping  with 
mamma ;  and  I  made  my  doU  some  new  clothes,  and 
I  went  to  visit  some  Americans  who  were  friends  of 
mamma's,  and  had  some  little  children  to  play  with ; 
and  then  all  the  rest  of  the  time  I  was  trying  to  finish 
one  of  my  hooks  from  Mudie's  Library. 

When  we  are  in  Germany  I  am  afraid  I  can't  have 
many  English  books  to  read,  and  so  papa  gets  all  he 
can  for  me  now.  Mudie's  Library  is  very  large,  and 
has  all  the  new  books  that  are  good,  papa  says,  but 
there  are  not  many  for  children.  I  had  one  book  from 
there  that  was  so  nice  !  It  was  "  Cushions  and  Cor- 
ners ;  "  and  I  wish  it  was  mine  to  keep. 

We  are  going  away  from  London  next  week,  if  the 
weather  is  pleasant,  and  there  are  some  more  things  for 
me  to  see  yet.  We  have  been  here  so  long  that  I  am 
almost  sorry  to  go  to  Grermany,  for  this  seems  now  like 
a  kind  of  home,  and  I  like  to  see  so  many  new  things ; 


62  HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS. 

and  wlien  Sunday  conies  I  like  very  much  to  go  to  the 
churches  here.  Oh^  Susie,  I  have  seen  so  many  differ- 
ent churches,  and  seen  so  many  ministers  that  papa 
says  are  very  distinguished  in  America. 

The  little  children  here  sit  very  still  in  church,  as 
still  as  you  used  to. 

Mamma  just  peeped  over  my  shoulder  and  said  I 
must  tell  you  about  my  going  to  Greenwich  to  see  all 
the  sailors  there.  I  wish  mamma  would  write  about 
it,  but  she  says  these  are  my  letters,  and  I  must  tell 
my  stories  alone.  When  we  started  to  go  to  Green- 
wich the  weather  was  very  pleasant,  and  I  begged 
papa  to  go  there  in  a  steamboat,  so  that  I  could  see 
the  river  Thames  again,  and  all  the  fine  bridges  on  it. 
So  we  went  down  in  the  boat,  and  came  back  in  the 
cars;  it  was  so  cold  that  we  didn't  enjoy  it  much,  and 
I  had  to  keep  my  face  in  mamma's  muff,  instead  of 
looking  at  the  fine  bridges  and  houses. 

But  we  had  a  nice  time  when  we  were  there.  There 
are  tw^o  great  stone  buildings,  large  enough  to  be 
palaces,  and  they  looked  like  them ;  and  sailors  who 
are  very  old  men,  who  have  been  on  the  seas  and 
become  infirm,  live  in  them.  Some  of  these  old  men 
have  been  in  battles  and  have  lost  an  arm  or  a  leg. 
They  are  all  dressed  alike ;  and  those  we  saw  looked 
happy,  and  seemed  to  be  glad  they  had  such  a  good 
home.  We  went  through  a  great  hall,  and  on  both 
sides  of  it  were  little  rooms  fitted  up  for  the  sailors. 
Each  man  had  a  room  for  himself,  and  besides  the 


HELEX    ON    HEK    TRAVELS.  63 

bed  and  table  and  chair  which  were  given  to  him,  he 
was  allowed  to  put  any  little  things  he  pleased  into 
his  cabin.  They  all  call  their  little  rooms  cabins ; 
is  n't  it  funny  ?^  One  old  man  with  only  one  arm,  led 
me  into  his  cabin  and  showed  me  a  little  ship  he  had 
made,  and  told  me  stories  about  the  battles  he  had 
been  in. 

We  went  into  great  halls  and  saw  things  that  had 
been  kept  which  had  belonged  to  great  commanders  ; 
and  we  saw  a  great  number  of  pictures  and  portraits. 
What  we  all  liked  to  see,  was  some  things  which  men 
had  found  which  used  to  belong  to  Sir  John  Franklin 
and  his  men.  Did  you  ever  hear  how  they  were 
lost  ?  We  saw  his  watch,  and  spoons  and  knives  that 
the  men  had  used. 

A*fter  we  had  seen  all  these  things,  it  was  time  to 
go  to  the  dining  hall,  and  see  the  tables  spread  for 
the  dinner.  All  the  plates  were  made  of  tin,  and  the 
seats  were  w^ooden  benches,  but  everything  looked 
clean.  I  thought  I  should  n't  like  their  dinner  very 
well;  but  papa  said  if  I  had  been  a  sailor  a  good 
many  years,  I  should  like  plain,  wholesome  food  better 
than  anything  else. 

This  makes  me  think,  Susie,  of  what  a  gentleman 
sent  me  ^^esterday :  a  plate  full  of  raspberry  tarts  !  I 
can  play  tea-sets  with  them,  and  have  enough  for  tea 
besides. 

This  afternoon  we  are  going  to  some  beautiful  gar- 
dens and  to  South  Kensington  Museum,  and  to-mor- 


64  HELEN    ON    HEK   TRAVELS. 

row  somewhere  else ;  but  I  do  n't  believe  I  can  write 
to  you  about  tbem,  I  shall  be  so  busy.  Won't  it  seem 
strange  if  my  next  letter  is  from  Germany?  We  are 
going  to  Eotterdam,  too. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  65 


EiaHTEENXH  Letter. 

BONN,   ON  THE  KHINE. 

Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

We  did  leave  London  the  week  after  I  wrote  my 
last  letter,  just  as  I  tliought  we  should,  and  we  have 
been  in  Germany  three  or  four  days  already ;  hut  there 
has  been  so  much  for  me  to  see,  that  I  have  n't  felt 
like  writing  any  letters.  I  have  been  very  tired,  too, 
for  it  was  a  very  long  journey  from  London,  I  thought; 
though  mamma  says  a  little  girl  who  has  crossed  the 
gieat  Atlantic  ocean  shouldn't  complain  of  such  a 
short  steamboat  ride..  It  was  n't  the  time  on  the 
steamboat,  that  I  did  n't  like ;  but  we  had  so  many 
changes,  and  altogether  it  was  n't  so  nice  as  I  thought 
it  was  going  to  be.  What  is  the  reason  that  very  often 
we  do  n't  have  such  a  pleasant  time  as  we  thought 
we  should?  ^ 

But  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it,  and  then  perhaps  you 
win  think  it  was  beautiful,  and  that  you  would  have 
enjoyed  it  very  much. 

Papa  thought  he  would  not  go  all  the  way  from 
London  to  Eotterdam  in  the  steamboat,  but  would  try 


66  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

the  new  route,  as  lie  called  it.  So  about  eight  o'clock 
one  evening,  (that  is  just  my  bed-time,  you  know,) 
we  started  in  a  carriage  to  ride  to  the  station.  The 
streets  in  London  looked  so  bright  and  so  pretty, 
lighted  up  with  gas,  that  I  did  feel  really  sorry  to  go 
away.  I  hope  we  shall  go  there  again  before  we  go 
home  to  America. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  confusion  in  the  depot, 
because  so  many  people  were  going  in  the  night  train, 
just  as  we  were ;  but  after  a  time  papa  said  our  bag- 
gage was  taken  care  of,  and  we  seated  ourselves  in  the 
cars,  to  ride  till  twelve  o'clock.  I  was  wrapped  up  in 
a  large  shawl,  and  felt  pretty  comfortable  all  the  time, 
though  I  do  n't  think  I  was  asleep.  Mamma  laughed 
about  that,  and  said  that  little  folks  do  n't  always 
know  when  they  are  asleep. 

Just  about  midnight  the  cars  stopped,  and  we  ^s^ialked 
a  little  way  to  a  large  steamboat ;  and  there  we  ha^  a 
funny  time  !  We  could  n't  have  a  state-room  together, 
as  we  always  had  before,  but  papa  was  sent  to  the 
gentlemen's  cabin  to  sleep,  and  mamma  and  I  were 
told  to  follow  the  other  ladies  to  the  ladies'  cabin. 
When  we  found  it,  everything  was  very  nice  and 
prett;^  but  I  was  too  tired  to  look  at  anything.  All 
the  ladies  were  hurrying  to  find  state-rooms,  but  the 
trouble  was,  there  were  hardly  any  ready.  There 
was  a  new  stewardess,  and  she  had  n't  made  all  the 
rooms  ready,  and  so  we  had  to  wait  and  wait  a  long 
time.      Some  of  the  ladies   scolded  her :   but  it  did 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  67 

no  good.  Bye  and  bye  our  little  room  was  ready,  and 
it  was  very  nice  and  cosy,  but  we  found  the  clean 
sheet  and  blankets  were  very  damp ;  and  mamma  said 
I  should  certainly  have  the  rheumatism  if  I  was  un- 
dressed. Did  you  ever  hear  of  little  girls  having  the 
rheumatism,  Susie?  4But  I  was  glad  to  go  to  sleep 
in  any  way,  so  we  looked  around  for  our  shawls  to 
cover  -ourselves  with,  but — now  comes  the  worst  of 
it — papa  had  forgotten,  and  kept  them  and  our  trav- 
elling bag  with  him,  and  we  didn't  know  at  all  where 
he  was.  We  had  a  good  laugh  about  it,  and  then 
mamma  covered  me  with  a  great  square  pillow,  and  I 
think  I  went  to  sleep. 

Papa  thought  we  would  want  to  sleep,  so  he  didli't 
disturb  us ;  but  the  stewardess  woke  us  up  some  time 
in  the  forenoon,  and  said  we  ought  to  go  up  on  deck 
and  see  the  country  and  the  river  before  we  reached 
Rotterdam. 

And  oh,  it  w^as  the  strangest  looking  country  when' 
w^e  did  see  it !  We  were  not  on  the  sea  any  more, 
but  sailing  up  a  river ;  and  on  both  sides  the  shore 
was  near  enough  for  us  to  see  the  little  houses,  and 
the  funny  looking  people.  And  all  the  land  was  as 
flat  as  a  floor,  almost ;  there  was  n't  even  a  little  hill ; 
and  there  were  so  many  great  wind-mills.  In  every 
direction  we  would  look,  were  four  or  five  great  wheels 
up  in  the  air,  turning  slowly  with  the  wind. 

I  liked  to  watch  the  people  beside  us,  as  much  as  I 
did  these  other  things ;  for  some  of  them  were  Dutch 


68  HELEN"    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

people,  and  some  Germans,  and  tliey  were  dressed  so 
oddly,  and  talked  very  strangely.  Some  of  them  were 
going  to  their  homes,  but  they  had  been  long  enough 
in  England  to  learn  a  little  English.  They  said  Eng- 
land was  a  nice  countrj^,  but  Germany  was  better  still. 
I  wonder  if  I  shall  think  so  !      % 

I  think  I  '11  stop  now,  and  perhaps  to-morrow  write 
you  another  letter,  before  I  forget  what  I  want  to  tell 
about  Eotterdam  and  Cologne. 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  69 


JflNETEEKTH  LETTER. 

BOISTN. 
Dear  Susie  : 

Mamma  says  I  can  send  two  letters  by  on-e  mail 
this  time,  so  I  will  commence  just  where  I  left  off 
yesterday. 

Our  steamboat  kept  going  slower  and  slower,  till 
we  stopped;  and  because  the  prettiest  part  of  Rotter- 
dam lies  along  by  the  side  of  the  river,  we  had  a  good 
chance  to  see  it.  And  the  houses  were  so  neat  and 
white,  and  the  sun  was  shining  so  brightly,  and  the 
sides  of  the  river  looked  so  cheerful  with  all  the  ships, 
that  I  thought  it  was  much  prettier  than  London. 
When  we  almost  touched  the  wharf,  a  great  many 
men  and  boys  crowded  up  to  the  edge  to  see  us ;  and 
you  would  have  laughed  to  have  seen  them,  though 
they  did  n't  seem  to  think  at  all  that  there  was 
anything  funny  about  them.  They  almost  all  wore 
wooden  shoes,  and  they  were  so  thick  and  so  large  that 
papa  called  them  boats;  and  they  were  really  little 
boats,  for  they  were  turned  up  at  the  toes  like  the 
canoes  the  Indians  make.  The  boys  did  n't  wear  any 
hats  on  their  heads,  and  they  were  dressed  like  men. 


70  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

Our  J)aggage  wasn't  opened  here  to  be  searclied,  but 
we  were  allowed  to  go  at  once  to  the  depot.  It  y^as  a 
low,  brown  building  near  by,  and  did  n't  look  mnch 
like  our  depots  at  home.  And  the  inside  was  just  as 
different.  There  was  a  first-class  room,  but  nobody 
went  in  there ;  papa  says  very  few  people  ride  first- 
class  in  this  country,  because  the  second-class  cars  are 
just  as  good  as  the  English  first-class.  We  looked 
into  the  third-class  room,  and  that  was  full  of  men 
and  women  drinking  beer  and  smoking ;  then  we  went 
into  the  second-class  room,  and  we  found  some  nice 
people  who  had  come  from  London  the  same  way  we 
had.  There  was  a  little  English  boy,  too,  and  we  had 
a  nice  time  together,  walking  about  the  great  room, 
and  looking  at  the  funny  things.  There  were  a  num- 
ber of  pictures  hanging  on  the  walls,  and  in  different 
parts  of  the  room  were  glass  cases  or  closets,  full  of 
odd-looking  china  dishes,  all  kinds  of  cups  and  saucers, 
and  pitchers,  and  some  painted  china  that  I  can't 
guess  what  it  could  be  used  for. 

After  we  had  something  to  eat,  (I  have  forgotten 
what  it  was,)  we  all  went  out  to  walk  a  little.  Some 
of  the  houses  were  very  pretty,  and  all  were  just  as 
clean  and  neat  as  they  could  be.  I  should  think  the 
women  would  have  to  be  cleaning  all  the  time,  to 
make  everything  look  so  nice. 

Every  nice  house  had  a  little  looking-glass  put  out 
from  some  window  in  a  little  round  frame,  so  that  the 
people  in  the  rooms  could  see  Avho  was  coming  down 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  71 

the  street.  Wasn't  that  a  nice  way,  Susie?  Some 
of  the  shops  had  pretty  things,  and  we  saw  very  nice 
pictures ;  but  if  we  stood  long  looking  at  anything, 
the  people  would  gaze  at  us,  for  they  knew  we  were 
strangers.  The  people  in  the  streets,  even  the  ser- 
vant girls,  looked  as  neat  as  the  houses ;  —  but  I  must 
stop  telling  you  about  Eotterdam,  or  I  can't  have 
room  for  anything  else.  Only  just  about  the  canals  ! 
Instead  of  streets  they  have  canals  of  water,  and  have 
boats  instead  of  carriages  !  No,  not  all,  of  course,  but 
we  saw  some  streets  and  as  many  canals. 

We  rode  in  the  cars  till  we  came  to  Emerich,  a 
place  just  on  the  border  of  Prussia,  papa  said,  and 
then  all  the  passengers  had  to  get  out,  and  go  into  a 
room  where  our  baggage  had  been  carried,  to  see  it 
examined.  Every  person  had  to  unlock  his  trunks, 
and  the  guards  pulled  up  the  things,  to  see  what  was 
in  them.  Ours  were  the  last  ones  looked  at,  and  per- 
haps that  was  the  reason  that  our  things  were  not 
disturbed  much.  We  were  glad  to  get  our  comforta- 
ble seats  again,  and  we  had  some  nice  companions  all 
the  way  till  we  stopped  again.  Little  Frank,  the 
English  boy,  was  in  our  coupe.  We  had  to  stop  once 
in  the  evening  to  change  cars,  and  then  we  got  some 
supper.  I  had  a  German  pfankuchen,  and  it  tasted 
some  like  Aunt  Susan's  doughnuts,  though  not  so 
good.  Then  we  rode  till  we  came  to  Cologne,  and 
the  cars  did  n't  go  any  farther ;  it  was  ten  o'clock,  too, 
and  we  were  all  sleepy  enough. 


72  HELEN  o:n-  her  travels. 

Erank's  motlier  was  going  to  stop  at  tlie  Victoria 
Hotel,  and  we  went  there,  too,  because  papa  did  n't 
know  about  Cologne  very  well.  We  all  rode  in  the 
omnibus  that  belongs  to  the  hotel,  and  it  seemed  as 
though  we  should  be  turned  over,  we  rode  so  fast.  It 
was  a  splendid  hotel,  Susie,  and  I  had  a  little  bed 
with  beautiful  damask  curtains  all  around  it,  and  a 
little  bed  of  real  down  to  put  over  me,  instead  of  a 
quilt. 

Oh,  dear !  I  wish  I  knew  how  to  write  letters,  and 
get  in  all  I  want  to.  I  shall  have  to  finish  this 
another  time. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  73 


Twentieth  Letter. 

BONN. 

Dear  Susie  : 

I  wish  I  could  commence  this  letter  by  telling  you 
what  I  have  been  doing  to-day,  instead  of  going  back 
a  week,  to  finish  the  story  about  Cologne,  and  our 
coming  to  Bonn.  I  call  it  a  story,  because  these  let- 
ters of  mine  seem  some  like  a  long  story,  when  thej 
are. put  together,  don't  you  think  so? 

I  believe  I  had  just  told  you  about  my  nice  bed  in 
the  Victoria  Hotel,  when  I  had  to  stop  writing.  It 
was  pretty  hard  to  leave  it  the  next  morning,  I  was  so 
sleepy;  but  papa  had  ordered  our  breakfast  early,  so 
that  we  would  have  time  to  walk  some  before  the  cars 
started.  We  did  n't  go  into  a  dining  room  to  eat 
breakfast,  but  a  servant  brought  some  coffee  and  rolls 
to  our  room.  In  Germany  the  people  do  n't  eat  butter 
in  the  morning,  but  we  asked  for  some. 

I  could  see  in  the  morning  what  a  beautiful  room 
we  had  slept  in,  but  it  was  very  different  from  an 
American  room.  The  stove  was  as  pretty  as  a  hand- 
some piece  of  furniture,  for  it  was  made  of  beautifully 


74  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

carved  iron,  and  bronzed  over,  and  it  did  n't  look  like 
a  stove  at  all.  There  were  two  tall,  large  wax  tapers 
on  the  table,  in  silver  candlesticks ;  and  although  we 
had  only  lighted  one,  and  burned  it  a  very  short  time, 
papa  had  to  pay  for  both  of  them,  and  much  more 
than  they  could  cost,  too.  He  says  that  is  the  custom 
everywhere  in  the  German  hotels,  to  make  people  pay 
a  great  deal  for  the  lights,  even  if  they  are  not  used ; 
and  that  sometimes  travellers  are  so  vexed  about  it 
that  they  carry  away  the  wax  candles,  after  they  have 
paid  for  them. 

We  have  been  to  see  the  Dome,  or  the  great 
Cathedral ;  and  I  can  not  possibly  tell  you  how  large 
it  is,  nor  how  grand  it  looked-  It  was  commenced 
hundreds  of  years  ago,  and  is  n't  nearly  finished  yet. 
There  are  to  be  two  immense  towers  when  it  is  done, 
and  men  are  at  work  upon  it  all  the  time  5  but  it 
seems  as  though  they  could  never  finish.  On  the  top 
of  one  of  the  half-made  towers  are  real  trees  growing, 
and  there  is  a  kind  of  machine  up  there,  too,  left  a 
long  time  ago  by  the  workmen,  called  a  crane.  Papa 
played  a  nice  joke  upon  me.  You  know  there  is  a 
great  bird  called  a  crane,  too ;  and  when  he  said  a 
crane  had  been  feeding  there  for  years,  I  looked  a  long- 
time to  see  a  real  live  bird,  but  I  didn't  see  it,  of 
course;  though  a  great  many  dear  little  birds  have 
built  their  nests  in  the  old  walls  and  towers,  and  keep 
flying  around. 

As  we  walked  towards  the  Dome  to  go  in,  a  great 


HELEN    ON    HEE,    TRAVELS. 


many  men  and  boys  crowded  around  us,  to  sliow  tlie 
way,  and  tliey  clung  to  us  just  like  burrs;  but  we 
found  the  way  ourselves.  When  we  went  in,  a  man 
came  up  to  us  with  a  plate,  for  papa  to  put  money  in, 
and  then  told  us  where  we  could  walk ;  because  people 
were  there  for  service,  and  w^e  must  n't  go  in  the  mid- 
dle aisles. '  All  over  the  church  men  and  women  were 
kneeling  and  crossing  themselves,  and  the  priests  were 
praying,  and  somebody  was  playing  the  great  organ ; 
but  the  inside  of  the  church  was  so  grand  and  beauti- 
ful, I  could  look  at  nothing  else.  There  were  some 
strangers  there  besides  us,  and  the  priests  watched  all 
of  us ;  and  when  papa  and  mamma  walked  arm-in-arm, 
one  of  the  priests  said  that  was  n't  allowed  there. 
Was  n't  it  strange  ? 

After  we  came  out,  we  had  time  to  walk  around  the 
narrow  streets,  and  see  the  tall,  odd-looking  houses, 
and  the  strange-looking,  talking  people.  There  were 
some  beautiful  things  in  the  shop  windows,  and  we 
bought  some  little  pictures,  and  something  else  that  I 
liked  better :  that  was,  real  cologne,  Susie.  You  know 
we  have  nice  cologne  water,  made  in  America, —  I  had 
a  little  bottle  once, — but  this  would  seem  to  be  much 
nicer  made  in  Cologne  itself,  and  in  the  very  place 
where  it  was  first  made.  Mamma  gave  me  a  bottle 
in  a  nice  case,  so  it  couldn't  break,  and  I  haven't 
opened  it  yet ;  perhaps  I  shall  not  until  we  go  home. 
I  know  it  is  nice,  because  the  lady  where  we  bought 
our  bottles  gave  me  some  on  iiij  handkerchief. 


76  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

I  should  n't  like  at  all  to  live  in  Cologne ;  tlie  streets 
are  very  narrow  and  very  dirty.  Our  guide  book  says 
it  has  the  reputation  of  being  almost  the  dirtiest  Ger- 
man city.  There  are  no  sidewalks,  and  everybody 
walks  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  on  little  paving 
stones,  too,  which  hurt  anybody's  feet  very  much. 

The  depot  was  a  splendid  great  building,  and  I  saw 
the  Queen  of  Prussia  there ;  she  was  taking  a  journey, 
and  had  a  handsome  car  to  ride  in.  Mamma  and 
I  clung  close  to  papa,  for  we  could  n't  speak  German, 
and  if  any  one  spoke  to  us,  all  we  could  say  was,  "  I 
do  n't  understand." 

We  had  a  nice  ride  to  Bonn,  and  then  I  had  to  bid 
good  bye  to  Frank,  because  he  was  going  with  his 
mother  to  Frankfort. 


HELEN    OX    HEK    TRAVELS.  77 


TWENTY-FIBST  LETTEK. 

Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

It  was  only  yesterday  that  I  wrote  a  letter  to  you, 
but  I  have  no  one  to  play  with  me  now,  and  I  am  so 
lonely  that  I  shall  perhaps  enjoy  writing  again. 

You  would  n't  think  I  could  be  very  lonely,  if  you 
could  be  here  in  the  room  with  me,  and  look  out  of  the 
window ;  for  all  the  street  and  the  square  opposite  are 
fall  of  children  playing,  and  they  seem  so  happy,  and 
have  so  many  nice  games,  that  you  w^ould  like  to  watch 
them,  I  know.  But  though  they  make  noise  enough, 
and  talk  very  loud,  I  cannot  understand  one  word 
they  say,  for  they  are  Germans.  The  little  girls  are 
dressed  very  differently  from  the  way  we  are  dressed. 
The  very  little  ones  have  their  hair  long  and  put  up 
in  nets,  and  they  wear  long  dresses,  made  in  the  fun- 
niest way,  too ;  and  a  good  many  of  them  stop  playing 
sometimes,  and  begin  to  knit.  The  smallest  ones  have 
some  knitting  work  with  them,  and  they  do  n't  seem 
to  drop  the  stitches,  as  I  do. 

All  da}^  long  I  have  had  enough  to  see  from  the 


78  HELEN    ON    HER    TEAVELS. 

windows;  on  the  other  side  of  the  square  which  I 
mentioned,  is  a  great  Catholic  church,  (papa  says 
almost  all  the  people  here  are  Catholics,)  and  men  and 
women  have  been  going  in  and  coming  out,  all  the 
time  since  five  o'clock  this  morning.  Some  of  the 
ladies  look  like  rich  ladies,  and  wear  beautiful  clothes, 
and  carry  little  books  bound  in  gold ;  but  most  of  the 
people  seem  to  be  poor,  and  a  great  many  of  the  women 
seem  to  be  servant  girls.  They  wear  nothing  on  their 
heads  generally,  though  sometimes  a  clean  white  hand- 
kerchief is  pinned  over.  All  the  people  look  clean, 
even  the  little  children. 

The  weather  is  so  warm  and  beautiful  that  it  seems 
like  summer;  and, just  think,  when  we  left  London 
two  weeks  ago,  it  was  dark  and  cold;  but  the  sun 
shines  here  all  the  time.  We  have  n't  even  had  any 
fire  to-day  in  our  funny-looking  stove,  but  have  the 
windows  open  all  day.  The  windows  are  not  like  any 
I  ever  saw ;  they  are  not  opened  by  sliding  them  up 
or  down,  like  ones  at  home,  but  open  in  the  middle, 
and  swing  into  the  room  like  two  glass  doors ;  and 
they  are  so  long  they  come  almost  to  the  floor,  so  I  can 
step  out  and  lean  against  the  iron  railing  which  is 
before  them.  Such  prett}'  white  muslin  curtains  we 
have,  too;  and  I  see  them  in  all  the  houses;  they 
make  the  houses  look  light  and  cheerful. 

I  do  n't  know  whether  you  would  like  this  sitting 
room  of  ours,  or  not,  Susie ;  we  have  no  carpet  on  the 
floor,  (people  do  n't   in  Germany,)  only  a  little  piece 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  79 

imcler  tlie  table ;  the  table  is  moved  up  in  front  of  the 
sofa^  so  that  when  we  sit  at  the  table  to  eat,  one  or 
two  of  lis  can  sit  on  the  sofa.  We  have  some  very 
pretty  furniture  in  the  roorn,  though  it  does  n't  seem 
very  strong ;  and  such  a  nice  writing  desk !  it  is  full 
of  little  drawers  and  places  for  books.  I  am  writing 
this  letter  on  it  now.  I  miss  my  little  rocking  chair 
the  most  of  everything ;  and  we  have  hardly  seen  any 
kind  of  a  rocking  chair  since  we  left  America. 

We  do  n't  like  this  street  very  well ;  it  is  very  nar- 
row and  noisy.  It  is  one  of  the  streets  that  lead  down 
to  the  Rhine,  and  carriages  and  teams  are  passing 
constantly.  On  each  side  of  the  street  is  a  gutter  of 
dirty  water,  just  as  in  all  the  streets  in  the  city ;  and 
as  there  are  no  sidewalks,  every  time  we  go  out  to 
walk,  we  must  go  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  on  the 
little  hard  stones. 

I  was  n't  with  papa  and  mamma  when  they  engaged 
these  rooms.  I  was  so  tired  that  I  staid  on  the  sofa 
in  the  depot,  and  I  had  a  very  pretty  room  to  be  in 
and  something  good  to  eat ;  and  the  guard  man  was 
very  kind  to  me.  When  he  went  out  he  locked  the 
doors,  because  he  did  n't  allow  people  to  go  into  the 
first-class  room  without  him.  I  did  n't  like  to  be 
locked  in  A^ery  well,  but  the  doors  were  made  of  glass, 
so  that  I  could  see  out ;  and  when  the  trains  came 
past,  I  liked  to  watch  them.  The  engines  are  very 
different  from  the  American  ones;  the  engineer  and 
fireman  have  no  little  house  to  stay  in,  and  the  trains 


80  HELEX    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

have  many  more  cars  than  ours.  So  many  people  are 
travelling  np  the  Rhine,  and  very  few  come  from 
Cologne  to  Bonn  in  the  steamboat,  because  the  scenery 
is  not  pleasant  on  that  part  of  the  Rhine,  papa  says. 

I  had  to  stay  a  long  time  alone ;  but  when  papa 
came  for  me,  he  told  how  many  rooms  he  had  looked 
at  first.  It  is  hard  now  to  get  rooms  here,  because 
the  students  are  just  coming  back  to  the  University 
to  study. 

I  had  a  nice  ride  in  a  German  carriage  to  this  street, 
and  I  have  had  a  nice  time  ever  since. 


HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS.  81 


Twenty-Secokd  Letter. 

BONN. 
Deak  Cousin  Susie: 

I  do  n't  have  at  all  the  same  kind  of  places  to  visit 
here  that  I  did  in  London,  but  I  like  living  here  better, 
and  have  enough  that  is  new  to  see.  I  am  trying  to 
learn  a  little  German  from  papa,  and  I  can  say  a  few 
easy  words  now  to  Marie,  our  servant  girl.  She  always 
laughs  when  I  try  to  say  anything,  but  it  is  such  a 
good-natured  laugh,  that  I  do  n't  mind  it.  She  is  so 
kind  that  I  really  love  her ;  and  sometimes  she  takes 
me  to  walk,  and  then  she  tells  her  friends  I  am  a  little 
American  girl. 

Oh,  Susie,  I  yas  so  mortified  yesterday !  I  went 
out  alone  to  a  shop  very  near  here,  to  buy  something 
for  mamma ;  she  told  me  just  what  to  say,  and  I  kept 
repeating  the  funny  German  words  all  the  way ;  but 
when  I  went  into  the  shop  the  people  could  n't  under- 
stand me,  and  I  could  n't  understand  them ;  so  I  ran 
home  crying.  I  know  that  was  silly,  but  I  thought  I 
could  n't  help  it. 

Every  morning  after  breakfast  we  take  a  walk,  and 


82  HELEX    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

now  we  have  seen  most  of  tlie  streets  of  Bonn.  I 
mean  by  tliat,  we  have  seen  all  the  part  within  the 
walls.  There  used  to  be  a  great  stone  wall  around  the 
city,  but  now  it  is  almost  all  gone ;  only  the  great 
gates  still  remain.  Some  of  these  are  very  handsome, 
and  some  are  very  high  and  strange-looking ;  but  be- 
yond these  gates  the  walks  are  beautiful.  There  are 
the  finest  streets  and  the  most  elegant  houses,  with 
fine  gardens,  too,  sometimes,  and  long  rows  of  trees, 
and  sidewalks.  I  think  papa  will  find  us  some  rooms 
on  one  of  these  streets,  and  then  I  shall  be  very  happy. 

Bonn  seems  like  a  small  city,  but  the  houses  are 
packed  so  closely  together,  and  the  people  are  crowded 
so  closely  together  in  them,  that  there  are  a  great 
many  living  in  this  little  city,  papa  told  me  to-day. 
The  streets  are  narrow,  though  quite  clean ;  and  there 
are  no  trees  at  all,  and  no  sidewalks ;  or  if  there  are 
any,  they  are  too  narrow  for  more  than  one  person. 

Every  time  we  walk  out  the  people  gaze  at  us,  and 
so  do  the  market  women,  too,  w^hen  we  ask  them  any 
questions.  Oh,  I  must  tell  you  how  .pretty  the  market 
places  do  look !  We  go  often  to  see  the  women,  and 
what  they  have  to  sell,  when  it  is  early.  They  sell 
their  things  out  of  doors,  and  on  the  great  squares, 
which  are  surrounded  on  every  side  by  buildings. 
The  market  w^omen  are  dressed  so  fanny,  and  all  about 
alike.  Tliey^wear  blue  calico  dresses  made  very  short, 
and  brown  stockings,  and  very  thick,  stout  shoes. 
Over  their  heads  they  have  pinned  a  large  linen  cloth. 


HELEN    ON    HEE,    TRAVELS.  83 

as  white  as  snow ;  and  you  can  imagine,  Susie,  what  a 
pretty  sight  it  must  be  when  two  or  three  hundred  of 
them  are  together,  and  the  sun  is  shining  down  upon 
their  white  heads.  They  have  all  kinds  of  vegetables 
and  flowers,  (of  course  I  mean  all  those  they  can  get 
at  this  time  of  the  year,  and  it  has  been  so  warm  that 
many  things  are  ready  for  market,)  and  arrange  them 
in  rows  in  their  baskets.  Fresh  butter  and  eggs,  too, 
are  plenty.  At  first  I  used  to  pity  them  when  I  saw 
them  bring  their  great  loads  of  things  to  market,  for 
they  carry  everything  in  baskets  on  the  top  of  their 
heads ;  and  sometimes  we  have  seen  women  carrjdng 
two  or  three  at  once,  and  full,  too.  This  is  the  way 
in  which  they  carry  everything,  I  believe,  excepting 
water,  for  they  carry  baskets  of  wood  and  clothes  in 
the  same  way ;  but  they  look  very  contented  and 
happy.  I  wish  you  could  see  the  washerw^omen  carry 
home  to  ladies  their  clean  clothes.  They  have  a  basket 
full  on  their  backs,  and  have  their  shoulders  covered 
with  such  things  as  must  be  starched,  skirts  and 
dresses ;  so  they  look  like  poles  hung  all  around  with 
clothes. 

When  we  see  all  we  want  to  in  the  morning,  papa 
and  mamma  go  home  to  study,  and  I  to  read  and  play ; 
though  at  dinner  time  we  have  to  go  out  again  to  a 
hotel,  because  the  people  in  this  house  do  n't  cook  our 
dinner  for  us.  I  do  n't  like  what  we  have  to  eat  very 
well,  but  papa  says  this  is  thorough  German ;  our 
soups  are  white  and  thick,  and  the  meat  is  cooked  in 


84  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

tlie  funniest  way,  with  vegetables,  and  we  do  n't  see 
any  pies  at  all,  but  have  some  strange  kinds  of  pud- 
ding instead.  All  tbe  German  men  drink  wine  or 
beer  instead  of  water.  I  tasted  some  beer  the  other 
day,  but  it  was  so  bitter  I  could  hardly  swallow  it. 

But  mamma  says  I  have  written  long  enough,  and 
I  may  go  to  walk  now.  How  I  wish  you  could  go 
with  me ! 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  85 


Twenty-third  Letter. 

BONN. 
Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

Did  n't  I  write  to  you,  that  I  hoped  papa  would  find 
us  a  pleasanter  home  on  one  of  those  pretty  streets 
outside  of  the  gates  ?  Well,  he  has  done  so,  and  two 
or  three  days  ago  we  moved.  I  called  it  a  real  mov- 
ing, for  it  is  a  good  deal  of  trouhle  to  pack  all  my 
hooks  and  doll's  clothes;  hut  then  mamma  has  the 
hardest  part  to  do,  of  course. 

We  have  a  very  pretty  place  and  house  to  live  in 
now.  It  is  on  a  street  which  runs  from  Bonn  towards 
Cohlenz,  and  there  are  fine  houses  on  hoth  sides ;  and 
we  only  have  to  go  a  very  little  way  before  we  can  see 
the  beautiful  river  Ehine.  Our  landlady  provides  our 
dinners  in  our  sitting-room ;  so  that  we  do  not  have  to 
go  out  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  the  weather  is  so 
very  warm, — though  it  is  only  Spring, — that  no  one 
likes  to  go  out  at  noon-time.  The  furniture  in  our 
room  is  very  pretty,  hut  it  looks  as  though  it  would 
break  if  we  touched  it ;  and  we  can  see  that  some 
pieces  have  been  broken  off,  and  then  glued  on  again. 


86  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

There  is  a  nice  little  foot-stool  here  just  right  for 
me  to  play  with  dolly,  but  every  one  of  the  four  legs 
is  fastened  on  with  glue,  so  I  hardly  dare  to  touch  it. 
Papa  says  it  is  very  generally  the  case  in  the  towais 
along  the  E,hine,  that  the  furniture  is  so  lightly  made 
that  it  will  easily  break,  and  then  the  lodgers  must 
pay  double  what  it  cost. 

Mamma  and  I  had  a  funny  time  yesterday  when 
we  went  out  shopping.  There  are  beautiful  shops 
here  of  pictures  and  carved  wood-work,  and  there  is 
one  great  shop  full  of  the  prettiest  porcelain  things. 
I  wish  we  could  buy  some  to  carry  home,  but  I  sup- 
pose they  would  break.  Mamma  found  she  could  n't 
understand  well  enough  to  go  into  the  shops  Avhere 
German  was  spoken,  so  she  inquired  where  she  could 
find  English  spoken.  There  every  thing  was  very 
pleasant,  all  but  the  prices.  The  shop  ladies  were 
very  polite,  but  things  cost  a  great  deal.  We  have 
heard  since  that  is  the  way  they  do  every  where  in 
Germany,  if  they  see  the  customers  are  English  or 
American.  Mamma  bought  me  a  travelling  dress, 
and  she  had  to  pay  almost  twice  as  much  as  it  was 
really  w^orth ;  and  she  did  n't  know  the  German  money 
very  well,  and  made  some  strange  mistakes. 

They  have  nice  places  here.  I  do  n't  know  what 
they  are  called  in  English,  but  the  German  people 
call  them  conditorein ;  they  are  very  nice  great  rooms 
fitted  up  with  little  tables  and  chairs,  and  people  go  in 
and  eat  cake  and  drink  a  cup  of  cofi'ee  or  a  glass  of 


HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS.  87 

wine,  and  then  they  are  allowed  to  read  the  papers. 
Papa  sees  the  newspapers  in  one  of  these,  and  I  went 
with  him  once.  I  do  n't  like  the  German  cakes  very 
well ;  they  only  taste  good  when  they  are  dipped  into 
tea,  and  this  is  the  only  way  they  are  eaten ;  but  we 
get  nice  bread,  and  tender  little  white  rolls,  and  there 
are  several  different  kinds  of  them. 

Oh !  you  would  laugh  to  see  the  peasant  boys  and 
girls  carrying  home  their  bread ;  it  is  n't  white,  but 
black  and  sour,  and  is  made  in  long  rolls,  as  long  as 
papa's  aiTGi.  It  is  very  cheaj),  and  they  eat  it  with 
cheese  and  beer.  The  other  day  I  saw  a  woman  with 
five  or  six  of  these  long  loaves,  and  she  looked  as 
though  she  had  an  armful  of  wood. 

Mamma  has  bought  a  little  tea  machine,  so  that  she 
can  make  her  own  tea.  There  is  a -little  alcohol  lamp 
.  which  belongs  to  it ;  there  are  a  great  many  pretty 
bronze  and  brass  and  tin  machines  for  making  tea. 
Mamma  makes  ours,  because  the  German  tea  is  not 
good ;  they  make  it  so  very  weak  that  even  you  or  I 
could  drink  it,  and  then  the}^  put  a  few  drops  of  rum 
into  every  cup. 

Mamma  has  been  to  several  shops  to  find  pure  tea, 
but  it  all  seems  to  be  mixed  with  herb  leaves,  which 
spoil  the  taste.  Papa  says  if  the  Germans  cannot 
make  good  tea,  they  certainly  can  good  coffee,  for  he 
never  drank  such  nice  coffee  as  he  finds  in  Germany. 
People  here  do  n't  shut  up  the  tea  in  tight  tin  boxes 
as  we  do,  but  do  it  up  in  thin  papers,   or  allow  it  to 


88  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

remain  open  on  plates.  It  is  no  wonder  it  is  n't  good, 
is  it? 

Papa  and  mamma  are  talking  of  sending  me  to  a 
German  school  to  learn  German ;  it  is  n't  a  Kinder- 
garten, but  a  school  where  some  English  scholars  go. 
I  shall  dread  it,  for  I  shall  be  so  lonely;  and  then  I 
can  't  have  so  much  time  to  walk  and  play. 

Last  night  we  had  a  beautiful  walk  along  the  banks 
of  the  river  Rhine,  and  saw  the  steamboats  going  up 
and  coming  down. 

Do  you  like  my  letters,  Susie  ?  Please  tell  me  if 
you  do  n't. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  89 


TWEITTY-FOlErilXH  LETTER. 

BONN. 
Dear  Susie: 

I  almost  wish  I  had  a  copy  of  the  letters  which  I 
write  to  you,  so  that  I  could  see  what  I  have  written 
about  and  what  I  have  not ;  for  as  soon  as  I  have  sent 
a  letter,  I  forget  what  was  in  it.  I  wish  I  could  see 
you  when  you  read  my  letters.  Do  you  go  out  on  the 
piazza  to  sit,  and  let  your  dolly  hear  them  ?  Oh,  I 
think  I  would  almost  he  willing  to  go  away  from  Eu- 
rope, if  I  could  only  have  one  more  af  those  nice  walks 
with  you  and  aunt  Susan.  I  wish  everybody  was  as 
kind  to  little  children  as  she  is  I 

I  have  n'  fe  told  you  anything  yet  about  our  Sundays 
here,  have  I  ?  You  would  n't  think  there  was  any 
such  day  as  Sabbath  day,  if  you  were  here  and  saw 
the  people  walking  and  riding,  and  filling  the  pleasure 
gardens  full,  and  drinking  and  smoking  there. 

The  people  almost  all  stop  working,  only  the  shop- 
people  generally  keep  the  shops  open,  and  they  dress 
in  their  best  clothes,  and  try  to  have  a  very  gay  time. 
Some  go  away  in  the  cars  to  some  other  town  to  visit 


90  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

their  friends,  and  some  hire  carriages  and  take  rides, 
and  some  have  company  in  their  own  houses.  When 
we  were  walking  through  a  beautiful  park  last  Sunday 
on  our  way  to  church,  I  saw  so  many  little  children 
dressed  in  white,  with  wreaths  on  their  heads,  that  it 
seemed  almost  as  though  I  was  in  America  on  Fourth 
of  July. 

Papa  says  a  great  many  of  them  go  to  church  for 
an  hour  or  two,  and  then  they  do  not  think  it  at  all 
wrong  to  do  what  they  please.  We  go  to  a  Scotch 
church,  and  it  is  almost  like  a  little  meeting  at  home. 
There  is  a  very  nice  minister ;  his  name  is  Dr.  Gra- 
ham, and  all  the  children  love  him.  His  house  and 
the  church  are  built  together,  and  so  at  first  papa  was 
puzzled  to  know  where  to  go ;  for  the  building  looks 
some  like  a  church. 

But  now  we  go  there  every  Sunday,  and  there  are 
two  or  three  more  Americans  besides  us,  and  a  num- 
ber of  English  and  Scotch  families.  I  have  seen 
some  dear  little  children,  and  I  hope  I  shall  become 
acquainted  with  them.  Papa  says  there  are  a  great 
many  English  families  living  in  Bonn,  but  most  of 
them  go  to  the  English  church ;  we  have  been  there, 
too.  First  the  Germans  who  are  not  Catholics  have  a 
service  there,  and  afterwards  the  English. 

Dr.  Graham  has  a  great  garden  behind  his  house, 
and  has  some  bee-hives,  and  a  nice  swing,  too ;  he 
asked  me  to  come  and  swing  a  little,  and  perhaps 
mamma  will  allow  me  to  go. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  91 

It  is  rather  hard  for  me  to  write  to-day,  for  I  am  a 
little  tired.  I  did  n't  go  to  bed  very  early  last  night, 
and  I  must  tell  you  the  reason. 

I  had  almost  the  best  time  yesterday  that  I  ever 
had  in  my  life.  Dr.  Graham  came  to  see  us  in  the 
morning  and  invited  us  to  go  with  a  little  party  on  an 
excursion.  We  were  to  have  a  steamboat  ride  and 
then  walk  two  or  three  miles  to  an  old  ruin,  where  we 
would  have  something  to  eat,  and  have  time  to  rest. 
He  said,  "be  sure  and  bring  your  little  daughter,  and 
if  she  is  not  old  enough  to  w^alk  so  far,  she  can  ride  on 
a  donkey's  back."  I  was  so  delighted,  and  mamma 
said  I  might  go.  She  put  on  me  my  Scotch  winsey 
dress,  and  we  all  carried  thick  shawls,  because  we  were 
coming  home  by  moonlight,  and  it  would  be  cold  on 
the  river. 

All  the  party  were  at  the  boat  in  season,  and  there 
were  two  boys  and  two  little  girls  to  be  with  me.  Oh, 
we  had  such  a  beautiful  steamboat  ride !  We  sat  on 
deck,  and  could  see  the  beautiful  houses  and  places  on 
the  banks  of  the  river,  and  some  old  ruins  of  castles 
farther  away.  The  people  on  the  boat  were  all  Ger- 
mans but  our  party.  We  stopped  at  a  little  village 
very  near  the  great  ruin  called  the  Drachenfels,  and 
left  the  boat.  Then  we  had  such  a  merry  time.  We 
all  walked  a  little  way,  and  then  Dr.  Graham  put  us 
children  on  donkeys.  I  had  -a  nice  seat,  something  like 
a  little  chair,  to  sit  in  on  my  donkey's  back,  and  it  was 
covered  with   red  flannel.      He  was  a  real  naughty 


92  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

donkey :  he  would  go  just  as  lie  wished  to,  and  some- 
times he  would  turn  around  so  suddenly  as  almost  to 
throw  me  off.  But  then  his  master  would  whip  him. 
It  was  such  a  nice  ride.  We  climbed  up  steep  paths 
and  through  vineyards,  and  little  peasant  children 
would  follow  uSy  and  offer  us  flowers  for  a  groschen, 
that  is  their  money,  about  as  large  as  an  American 
cent. 

The  gentlemen  and  ladies  walked,  but  we  all  got  to 
.the  old  ruin  about  the  same  time.  Then  we  plaj^ed  in 
the  green  grass  and  picked  wild  flowers,  and  had  some 
tables  spread  nnder  the  trees,  and  had  some  coffee  to 
drink  and  bread  and  butter  to  eat.  There  was  a  little 
house  there  where  people  lived  who  made  our  coffee 
and  sold  us  the  bread.  We  played  around  the  old 
ruin,  called  the  Heisterbach,  and  then  went  back.  My 
donkey  ran  all  the  way  down  the  hills. 

Now  you  see  why  I  went  to  bed  late  L 


HELEN    OX    HEK   TRAVELS.  93 


TwEXTY-EiFTH  Letter. 

BONN. 
Deak  Susie: 

I  sliall  liave  to  write  all  my  letters  now  in  the  after- 
noons, because  I  have  commenced  going  to  school  in 
the  forenoons.  I  do  n't  have  very  far  to  walk,  but  I  go 
down  this  street  past  the  beautiful  park  and  the  great 
hotel  to  the  Coblenz  gate,  (this  is  the  prettiest  gate  in 
Bonn,  I  think,)  and  then  keep  straight  on  through 
one  of  the  narrow  streets  to  my  school. 

It  is  n't  a  great  school-house  where  I  go,  but  it  is  a 
lady's  home,  and  she  has  one  room  for  a  school-room. 
She  is  a  very  pleasant  teacher,  but  she  can't  speak  any 
English ;  all  she  can  say  in  English  is  to  count  one, 
two,  three,  four,  and  so  on.  She  calls  me  Helene,  and 
tries  to  make  me  like  the  school,  but  she  tells  all  the 
children,  even  the  English  ones,  to  talk  with  me  in 
German,  and  so,  because  I  can't  understand  German, 
I  do  n't  talk  with  anybody,  and  I  feel  very  lonely.  I 
suppose  she  does  this  because  she  knows  papa  wishes 
me  to  learn  the  language. 

We  have  rather  a  pretty  school-room,  but  we  have 


94  HELEN    ON    HEll    TEAVELS. 

uncomfortable  wooden  seats,  and  they  are  not  painted. 
Our  teacher  teaches  the  children  to  read  and  count  and 
sing  and  such  things,  and  tells  stories  in  German,  and 
then  she  gives  us  a  long  recess,  and  we  play  in  her 
garden. 

I  do  n't  play  much,  though,  for  the  hoys  and  girls 
play  so  many  games  I  do  n't  know,  and  so  I  sit  alone 
and  look  on.  There  is  one  dear  little  ho}^  there  I 
begin  to  love  ;  I  wish  he  was  my  little  brother.  He 
has  long  curls  and  his  name  is  Victor.  We  do  n't  talk 
together,  but  we  smile  to  each  other.  I  told  papa 
about  him  and  his  name,  and  he  says  he  is  the  son  of 
a  distinguished  German  poet  who  died  two  or  three 
years  ago. 

I  can  hear  some  funnj'-  noises  in  our  street,  so  I  will 
stop  writing  a  little  while  and  look  out  of  the  window. 

Well,  Susie,  I  have  been  looking  into  the  street  for 
half  an  hour,  I  think,  and  there  is  something- nice  to  see 
all  the  time.  Students  go  by  with  funny  colored  little 
caps  on  their  heads ;  and  peasant  women,  with  great 
baskets  full  of  things ;  and  companies  of  soldiers ;  and 
carts  with  women  or  dogs  harnessed  into  them ;  and 
splendid  carriages  with  rich  people ;  and  donkeys  with 
peasant  boys  driving  them ;  (you  would  laugh  to  see 
these  boys  take  out  their  colored  pocket  handker- 
chiefs, and  dust  their  boots  before  they  go  into  the 
city ;)  and  a  great  many  people  walking.  Oh,  I  can't 
tell  you  nearly  all  there  is  to  be  seen  !  On  the  other 
side  of  the  street,  just  opposite  to  our  house,  is  a  large 


HELEN    OJS^    HER    TRAVELS.  95 

garden,  filled  with  old  trees ;  and  in  the  middle  of  it 
is  a  walk  which  leads  to  an  old  house.  There  is  an 
old  lady  who  comes  out  of  the  house  every  day,  and 
walks  up  and  down  this  walk ;  she  dresses  very  oddly, 
and  does  n^t  look  as  though  she  cared  as  much  for  the 
fashions  as  some  ladies  do ;  but  all  the  nice-looking 
people  who  come  past  bow  very  politely  to  her,  and 
show  her  great  respect.  Mamma  and  I  have  liked  to 
watch  her ;  and  yesterday  we  heard  that  a  great  Ger- 
man poet  (not  Victor's  papa,  though,)  used  to  live  in 
that  house,  and  that  this  old  lady  was  his  wife.  The 
Germans  were  very  proud  of  him,  and  now  they  love 
her.  Sometimes  a  fine  carriage,  which  belongs  to  some 
rich  people  here,  comes  for  her  to  ride. 

We  went  all  of  us,  yesterday,  to  the  cemetery  where 
this  great  poet  was  buried.  His  name  w^as  Mr.  Arndt. 
A  German  cemetery  is  very  pretty.  All  the  grave 
s bones  are  made  in  the  form  of  crosses,  and  have  beau- 
tiful ivy  twining  over  them.  Yie  saw  some  beautiful 
statues  of  marble,  and  papa  said  very  good  men  were  . 
buried  under  them ;  but  I  do  n't  remember  their  names. 
There  are  very  pretty  little  words  engraved  on  the 
crosses  over  children's  graves :  they  do  n't  say  they 
have  died,  but  have  "  fallen  asleep,"  or  "  gone  home ; " 
that  is,  German  words  which  mean  that. 

I  wanted  to  tell  you  about  another  walk  we  took  to 
a  church  which  is  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill  a  little  way 
from  Bonn.  It  is  called  the  Kreutzberg ;  that  is,  the 
Cross  Mountain.      The  church  is  a  Roman  Catholic 


96  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

one,  and  we  saw  some  images  and  pictures  and  flowers 
in  ifc.  Then  we  called  a  monk  to  show  us  a  flight  of 
marble  stairs,  in  another  part  of  the  church.  They 
are  called  holy  stairs,  because  they  are  just  like  some 
at  E,ome,  which  some  people  believe  Jesus  Christ  came 
down ;  and  nobody  is  allowed  to  go  up  those  we  saw, 
only  by  creeping  up  on  their  knees.  Papa  had  to  give 
the  monk  some  money,  and  then  we  walked  around 
to  see  the  beautiful  images  on  the  hill,  which  the  peo- 
ple pray  to. 

But  I  have  n't  any  more  time,  now,  Susie. 

My  birth-day  comes  very  soon  ! 


HELEJ<r    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  97 


Twenty-Sixth  Letter. 

BONN. 
Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

Sometimes  I  wish  I  was  a  young  lady  !  Do  n't  you 
wish  you  were  ?  Papa  and  mamma  went  to  a  party 
last  evening,  but  I  couldn't  go.  They  were  invited 
to  a  Professor's  house,  where  they  had  a  G-erman  sup- 
per; and  if  you  had  heard  mamma  tell  me  what  a 
German  supper  was,  you  would  have  thought  just  as 
I  did,  that  it  was  almost  nicer  than  Thanksgiving 
dinner.  I  hardly  ever  heard  of  so  many  kinds  of  good 
things,  and  all  to  be  eaten  at  one  meal ! 

But  I  have  been  very  happy  twice  this  week.  One 
time  was  when  I  went  with  a  party  of  people  to  a 
pretty  place;  and  the  other  was  on  my  birth-day. 
Papa  had  promised  me  one  treat  better  than  all  the 
rest,  and  that  was,  that  I  might  choose  some  nice 
place  for  us  to  go  on  that  day.  So  I  took  our  guide 
book  and  read  about  several  favorite  places  near  the 
E-hine,  and  at  last  decided  to  ask  papa  to  go  to  Roland- 
seek,  because  that  seemed  to  be  the  most  beautiful 
ruin.  Butf  I  will  tell  you  about  that  last,  after  I  have 
told  of  the  party  excursion. 

9 


98  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

One  afternoon  papa  and  mamma  were  going  with  a 
large  number  of  English  people  in  the  cars  to  Godes- 
herg.  That  is  tlie  name  of  an  old  ruin  a  few  miles 
from  Bonn ;  and  when  mamma  heard  that  several 
children  were  going,  she  allowed  me  to  go.  There  is 
a  beautiful  village  there,  and  some  of  the  houses  are 
very  fine,  and  have  great  gardens  around  them,  much 
prettier  gardens  than  I  ever  saw  in  America.  Eich 
people  who  live  in  Bonn  and  Cologne  in  the  winters, 
go  to  this  pretty  place  to  stay  in  the  summers  ;  and 
sick  people  go  there,  too,  I  believe.  After  we  had 
walked  about  the  streets,  and  seen  the  houses,  and  the 
beautiful  flowers  and  trees  in  the  gardens,  we  started 
to  go  up  to  the  old  ruin.  It  was  n't  a  very  long  walk, 
so  we  didn't  need  any  donkeys.  I  went  between  two 
little  girls,  and  we  crossed  a  little  bridge  over  a  brook, 
where  some  German  women  were  washing  clothes. 
Then  it  seemed  as  though  we  had  left  all  the  nice 
houses  and  gardens  on  the  other  side ;  for  the  rest  of 
the  way  were  httle  cottages,  which  looked  very  dirty, 
and  not  pretty  at  all.  We  kept  going  up  and  up  a 
steep  hill,  and  not  up  a  straight  road,  either ;  but  it 
wound  around  the  hill,  so  that  we  had  a  nice  chance 
to  get  views  of  the  little  village,  and  the  country,  too. 

When  we  reached  the  top  we  went  through  some 
stone  arches;  and  it  seemed  as  though  we  were  in 
houses  of  stone,  with  the  walls  partly  fallen  down. 
That  was  once  a  strong  castle,  papa  told  m^,  and  peo- 
ple went  there  to  get  protected  if  their  enemies  came 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  99 

against  them.  Some  of  the  broken  walls  are  very 
thick  and  high,  and  have  green  ivy  growing  over 
them,  and  sometimes  trees  and  rose  bushes.  In  the 
middle  of  all  is  a  great  stone  tower,  thirty  feet  high. 
There  are  no  windows  in  it ;  only  once  in  a  while  a 
little  hole  to  let  the  light  through.  We  went  to  the 
very  top  of  it,  and  then  we  could  see  the  Ehine,  and 
the  mountains,  and  Bonn,  and  as  far  as  Cologne.  The 
Cathedral  looked  like  a  black  cloud  low  in  the  sky. 

After  we  went  back  to  the  village,  we  had  a  supper 
around  a  long  white  table  in  a  garden.  We  had  some 
bread  and  butter  and  coffee,  just  what  all  of  us  chil- 
dren liked.  These  gardens  that  I  tell  you  about,  all 
of  them,  have  little  white  tables  and  chairs  in  them, 
where  people  sit  to  drink  coffee  or  beer.  I  have  seen 
a  great  many  of  them  since  we  came  to  Germany. 
Did  n't  we  have  a  nice  time  ? 

But  this  was  n't  as  good  as  my  birth-day  excursion. 
I  had  some  little  presents,  too.  One  was  a  German 
story  book,  for  I  can  read  a  little  German  now  5  and  I 
had  a  wreath  of  pink  flowers  for  my  head.  We  went, 
papa  and  mamma  and  I,  in  the  steamboat,  to  the  most 
beautiful  place  I  ever  saw.  It  was  to  Rolandseck,  (I 
chose  the  place  myself,  you  know,)  where  there  is  a 
pretty  old  ruin ;  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  is 
another  one,  called  the  Drachenfels,  (that  means  in 
English  the  Dragon's  E,ock,)  and  just  in  the  middle 
of  the  river  was  such  a  beautiful  island,  with  a  large 
white  house  at  one  %nd  of  it.     Some  nuns  used  to  live 


100 


HELEN    ON    HER   TBAYELS. 


there.  Was  n't  it  a  pretty  place  to  live  ?  Papa  cut 
me  down  a  May-pole, —  because,  you  know,  my  birth- 
day is  in  May, —  and  fastened  my  wreath  to  it ;  and 
then  we  had  such  nice  plays. 

I  gathered  mylap  full,  of  ivy  leaves,  and  some  little 
girls  came  up  to  us  with  bouquets  of  w^ld  flowers  to 
sell.  Oh,  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  the  lily  of  the  val- 
ley, that  pretty  little  white  flower,  grows  wild  here  in 
the  woods.  I  couldn't  play  long  wath  my  leaves, 
without  wanting  to  jump  up  and  look  at  the  beautiful 
things  all  around  us.  I  did  n't  know  before  that  the 
world  was  so  beautiful !  Do  n't  forget,  if  jou  ever 
come  to  Europe,  to  came  here  if  you  can;  and  then 
you  can  go  to  Eolandseck  and  see  the  ruins,  and  the 
river  Ehine,  and  the  pretty  island,  and  all  the  little 
villages  scattered  around.  You  will  find  such  beauti- 
ful arbors ;  and  very  often  you  will  see  along  the  roads 
and  paths,  wooden  images  of  Jesus  on  a  cross,  or 
sometimes  a  cross  alone.  These  are  where  the  people 
kneel  and  pray,  as  they  are  going  through  the  coun- 
try; because,  you  remember,  I  told  you  they  were 
Eoman  Catholics. 

I  have  n't  written  a  very  good  letter  this  time.  It 
was  all  so  nice  for  me  to  see,  but  I  can't  make  it  seem 
so  pretty  to  you !  I  wish  you  could  see  some  of  the 
girls  I  know  here.     Who  do  you  play  with,  now  I  am 


HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS.  101 


TWENXY-SEVEKTH  LETTER. 

HEIDELBEEG. 
Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

You  will  see  that  I  can  not  write  any  more  letters 
from  Bonn.  When  I  wrote  the  last  one  I  thought 
we  should  stay  there  some  time  longer ;  but  we  were 
there  only  two  weeks.  I  did  n't  seem  to  get  any  time 
to  write  again,  for  I  went  to  school  and  to  so  many 
other  places.  But  I  think  Heidelberg  is  a  much  pret- 
tier place  than  Bonn  was,  and  I  hope  I  shall  have 
some  nice  things  to  tell  you  about.  We  came  yester- 
day, and  so  I  can't  write  much  this  time,  only  about 
our  journey. 

t,  You  have  heard,  have  n't  you,  how  much  travellers 
like  to  go  up  the  Rhine  ?  I  do  n't  wonder  they  do, 
for  we  had  such  a  beautiful  time  !  We  were  on  a 
great  steamboat,  and  the  weather  was  so  warm  that 
everybody  sat  on  deck,  though  there  were  nice  cabins 
down  stairs.  A  great  awning  of  cloth  was  made  over 
the  deck,  so  that  the  sun  couldn't  shine  upon  us. 
The  first  afternoon  we  went  as  far  as  Coblenz;  and 
because  it  was  only  the  first  of  the  evening,  we  had 


102  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

time  to  see  the  great  fortress  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  and  the  bridge  of  boats  which  crosses  the  river, 
before  it  was  my  bed-time. 

The  next  morning  we  had  to  take  our  breakfast  in 
a  hurry,  because  we  wished  to  take  the  morning  boat; 
but  our  hotel  was  very  near  the  river.  I  wanted  very 
much  to  buy  some  nice  fresh  cherries  which  we  had 
seen  the  eA'^ening  before ;  but  the  woman  who  sold 
them  was  n't  up  so  early,  perhaps,  for  we  could  n't  find 
her.  But  I  found  afterwards  that  cherries  were  sold 
on  the  steamboat,  though  papa  had  to  pay  a  great 
deal  for  one  saucer  full. 

It  was  very  cold  sailing  up  the  river  so  early,  though 
it  was  warm  enough  before  night,  and  all  the  people 
were  wrapped  up  as  though  it  was  winter,  and  I  had 
on  my  winter  cloak,  and  even  then  my  teeth  chattered. 
But  there  was  too  much  to  be  seen  for  us  to  mind  the 
cold  much.  It  was  so  pleasant  to  watch  all  the  differ- 
ent people  as  they  came  on  to  the  boat.  There  were 
some  French  and  English  people,  .and  a  great  many 
Germans  ;  and  some  of  the  English  people  tried  to  get 
the  best  seats.  Then  the  great  Fort  and  Coblenz 
looked  so  pretty  in  the  morning  sunlight ;  and  when 
the  steamboat  began  to  move,  it  was  nice  to  hear  the 
captain  give  his  orders,  and  to  see  how  the  bridge  of 
boats  opened  for  us  to  go  through,  and  to  watch  the 
«:reat  wheels  turn  in  the  water. 

And  then  all  the  way  from  Coblenz  the  things  on 
the  shore  began  to  be  prettier  and  prettier.     There 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  103 

were  great  black  castles  high  up  on  rocks ;  and  beau- 
tiful hills  with  the  sides  covered  with  vineyards,  where 
the  funny-lookiug  peasant  women  were  at  work ;  and 
little  villages  just  on  the  very  edge  of  the  river,  and 
nice  roads  that  seemed  to  run  along  on  the  top  of  stone 
hanks  or  walls ;  and  then  it  was  so  pretty  to  watch 
for  the  new  surprises.  I  mean  by  this,  Susie,  that  the 
river  Rhine  is  so  winding  that  a  great  deal  of  the  time 
we  could  n't  tell  what  next  we  should  see,  till  we 
would  turn  a  great  bend  in  the  river,  and  then  there 
would  be  beautiful  palaces,  or  old  castles,  or  something 
as  fine.  I  should  think  it  must  be  pleasanter  to  go 
up  the  Rhine,  than  doiun,  on  a  boat ;  because  going 
up  we  must  sail  more  slowly,  and  so  have  time  to  see 
the  things  better.  Every  few  minutes  we  met  some 
great  steamboat  or  little  boats ;  and  once  we  saw  a 
great  raft,  so  large  that  there  were  even  little  log 
houses  on  it,  and  a  great  many  people,  too,  who  lived 
in  them ;  that  is,  they  slept  in  them  and  hung  their 
clothes  in  them.  Papa  said  they  were  going  to  take 
all  the  timber  that  the  raft  was  made  of,  to  some  great 
city  down  the  river,  and  sell  it. 

Would  you  believe  it,  Susie,  that  when  there  were  so 
many  new  and  beautiful  things  to  be  seen  all  the  time, 
that  some  people  would  n't  mind  anything  about  them  ? 
A  number  of  people,  to  be  sure,  sat  reading  their 
guide-books  and  watching  the  old  castles ;  but  all  the 
French  i^arty,  and  some  of  the  English,  seemed  to  care 
more  about  something  good  to  eat  than  anything  else. 


104  HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS. 

When  they  first  came  on  deck  they  ordered  a  simple 
breakfast ;  and  in  the  middle  of  the  forenoon  they 
ordered  another  nicer  one ;  and  they  sat  at  their  table, 
eating,  and  drinking  wine,  for  a  long  time.  They  had 
as  many  different  kinds  of  food  for  their  breakfast  as 
you  or  I  would  ever  get  at  dinner.  While  they  were 
eating  and  talking,  I  remember  we  passed  a  strange- 
looking  old  castle  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  called 
Bishop  Hatto's  Tower.  Do  you  remember  the  story  ? 
He  was  a  bad  man,  and  would  n't  feed  poor  people  in 
a  famine,  when  his  own  barns  were  full ; ,  and  so  an 
army  of  rats  began  to  eat  them,  and  then  came  after 
him.  He  was  so  frightened  that  he  fled  to  this  place 
in  the  river,  but  they  followed  him,  and  I  think  ate 
him  up.     I  have  the  story  at  home  in  a  red  book. 

When  we  reached  Bingen,  most  of  the  people  left 
the  boat.  It  looked  so  pretty  there  that  papa  was 
almost  sorry  we  were  not  going  to  stop,  too,  and  go 
on  to  Heidelberg  in  the  cars ;  but  our  baggage  was 
marked  for  Mannheim.  So  we  kept  on,  but  there  was 
nothing  more  pretty  to  be  seen,  only  a  flat  country. 
We  had  some  dinner  on  the  boat,  then  mamma  and  I 
went  down  to  the  ladies'  cabin  and  had  a  nap. 

We  stopped  one  night  in  Mannheim,  and  came  here 
in  the  cars  yesterday  forenoon. 


HELEN    0]S"    HEK    TRAVELS.  105 


TWEXTY-ElGHTH  LETTER. 

HEIDELBERG. 
Dear  Susie: 

We  have  the  prettiest  home  here  that  we  have  had 
since  we  left  America.  The  house  we  live  in  is  a  great 
handsome  house,  on  the  street  which  leads  up  to  the 
Castle.  It  looks  much  nicer  than  any  other  house  on 
the  street,  on  the  outside ;  but  the  inside  is  prettier 
still.  The  halls  are  large,  and  as  neat  as  wax,  and 
the  rooms  are  so  pleasant.  Our  rooms  are  up  two 
flights  of  stairs,  and  I  wish  you  could  see  them.  I 
cannot  tell  which  is  my  favorite.  Our  sleeping  room 
is  very  large,  and  is  carpeted  almost  all  over :  and  from 
the  windows  we  look  out  upon  a  most  beautiful  grove, 
which  is  on  a  great  hill  in  front  of  the  house.  The 
trees  are  so  large,  and  the  grass  is  so  green,  that  I 
never  get  tired  looking  at  them.  From  our  sitting 
room  windows  (our  sitting  room  is  just  the  other  side 
of  the  entry,)  we  can  see  the  little  garden  back  of  our 
house,  and  the  whole  city  of  Heidelberg,  and  the 
Neckar  river,  and  the  great  hills  beyond.  We  can 
see  the  sunset,  too,  and  sometimes  just  a  glimpse  of 
the  Rhine. 


106 


HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 


Oil,  this  is  a  beautiful  liouse,  and  the  people  who 
live  here  are  so  very  kind !  A  German  lady  owns  the 
house,  and  her  daughter  lives  with  her.  She  is  such 
a  pleasant  lady !  She  has  been  in  England,  too,  so 
that  she  can  speak  English  perfectly.  There  are  a 
number  of  strangers  in  the  house  besides  us,  and  some 
Americans  are  coming  next  month ;  and  a  Scotch  fam- 
ily have  several  rooms  on  the  first  story.  We  have 
our  breakfast  and  tea  in  our  own  room ;  but  we  take 
our  dinner  in  the  great  dining  room,  with  the  others, 
and  we  have  very  nice  food.  It  does  n't  seem  like 
any  German  dinners  we  have  eaten  before.  If  you 
were  only  here,  we  would  be  so  happy  together  I 

Our  landlad}'-  has  a  little  black  dog,  and  he  likes  me, 
so  that  sometimes  when  I  walk  through  the  city  with 
mamma,  he  follows  us.  There  is  one  long  street  which 
runs  through  the  city  in  the  same  direction  that  the 
Neckar  does,  and  there  are  a  great  many  funny  things 
to  be  seen  on  it.  At  one  end  of  it  is  the  market 
place,  and  I  like  to  go  there  to  see  the  market  women 
sell  their  things.  They  don't  dress  like  the  market 
women  in  Bonn,  and  they  speak  a  different  kind  of 
German,  too,  so  I  can  hardly  understand  them.  Al- 
though it  is  only  June,  yet  the  peasants  bring  in  every 
day  baskets  full  of  cherries  and  plums  and  berries. 
You  never  saw  such  great  cherries,  nor  so  many  dif- 
ferent kinds !  They  are  delicious  !  I  wish  I  could 
send  you  some.  There  are  no  peaches  here,  but  there 
is  a  kind  of  fruit  w^hich  looks  much  like  them,  and 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  107 

tastes  like  tliem,  too.  These  are  apricots ;  but  they 
are  not  as  juicy  as  peaches.  Doesn't  your  mouth 
water  to  read  about  all  these  these  nice  things  ?  I  see 
baskets  full  of  tender  green  salad  every  day,  and  we 
have  it  every  day  for  dinner.  People  do  n't  allow  it 
to  grow  up  and  get  old,  as  some  people  do  in  America, 
but  they  keep  it  new  here,  and  cut  it  very  often. 

I  wish  you  could  see  the  German  pumps  !  I  do  n't 
know  what  made  me  think  of  them  just  now,  but  they 
are  such  strange-looking  things.  They  are  in  every 
street,  because  people  here  do  not  have  water  carried 
into  their  houses,  but  the  servants  have  to  carry  it  in 
pails  from  the  street  pumps.  They  are  very  tall, — • 
much  taller  than  papa,  —  and  have  an  iron  handle, 
with  a  great  knob  at  the  end  of  it,  and  it  swings 
slowly  back  and  forth,  instead  of  pumping  up  and 
down,  like  our  pumps.  I  tried  to  pump  a  little  water 
once,  but  I  couldn't.  The  handles  are  very  heavy, 
and  the  water  comes  so  slowly  that  anybody  must 
wait  a  long  time  to  fill  a  pail.  Sometimes  servant 
girls  carry  tubs  of  clothes  to  them  to  be  rinsed,  or  fish 
to  be  washed,  or  lettuce  or  vegetables  to  be  prepared 
for  the  table.  They  do  have  such  strange  ways  of 
doing  things  in  Grermany!  I  don't  believe  I  ever 
told  you  about  the  cows  that  I  saw  in  Bonn  harnessed 
or  fastened  to  ploughs.  Just  think  of  a  cow  dragging 
a  plough,  and  a  funny-looking  one,  too,  and  a  woman 
managing  both  of  them  ! 

Yesterday  we  visited  the  old  Castle.     We  had  to 


108  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

go  up  this  street  to  get  to  it;  and  it  is  going  np  hill  all 
the  way.  On  both  sides  are  the  oldest  looking  houses, 
and  the  people  seem  to  live  in  the  street.  Women 
were  sitting  on  the  steps,  and  children  were  playing  in 
the  dirt.  Sometimes  they  would  come  up  to  us,  to 
offer  us  flowers,  or  to  beg.  Papa  says  that  thousands 
of  people  go  up  and  down  this  street  every  summer, 
some  on  foot,  and  some  in  coaches.  I  should  like  to 
ride  up  in  a  carriage,  but  I  should  n't  like  to  ride  down 
so  well,  because  the  way  is  so  steep  and  so  narrow. 
But  the  drivers  make  it  safe.  They  put  wooden  shoes 
or  drags  on  the  wheels,  so  that  they  cannot  turn,  but 
drag  all  the  way  down.  I  would  rather  be  on  my  own 
feet,  would  n't  you  ? 

I  will  tell  you  about  the  Castle  when  I  write  next 
time. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  109 


Twenty-Ninth  Lettek. 

HEIDELBEKG. 
Dear  Susie: 

I  have  had  several  nice  walks  lately,  and  have  been 
to  the  top  of  some  mountams  near  here,  where  we  had 
such  fine  prospects  that  we  could  see  for  miles.  I 
should  like  to  tell  you  about  one  of  them ;  but  I  prom- 
ised to  tell  you  about  the  Castle,  did  n't  I  ?  The  old 
ruins  of  castles  that  I  saw  near  Bonn  were  not  much 
like  this  one  here.  This  is  so  large  and  so  beautiful, 
and  it  has  so  many  statues  and  towers,  and  they  look 
so  pretty,  with  the  ivy  growing  over  them.  The  iv}'' 
grows  here  under  our  feet,  and  twines  up  the  trees, 
and  over  the  old  walls.  Some  parts  of  the  Castle  are 
very  old,  and  the  walls  are  broken  and  crumbling 
away;  and  some  parts  have  been  injured  by  light- 
ning ;  and  there  is  one  tower  larger  than  all,  which  is 
broken  in  the  middle,  and  the  top  has  fallen  off. 
Great  trees  and  bushes  are  growing  now  on  the  top  of 
it ;  and  people  can  go  up  there  and  sit.  The  newest 
part  of  the  Castle  seems  to  be  built  on  a  precipice, 
which  looks  down  upon  the  city ;  and  there  is  a  beau- 


110  HELEX    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

tiful  stone  balcony  there,  where  people  walk.  The 
newest  parts,  some  of  them,  are  not  spoiled,  and  the 
rooms  are  just  as  they  used  to  be,  and  some  people 
live  in  them  now.  We  went  through  the  inside  of  all 
the  buildings  we  could.  We  saw  a  chapel,  and  great 
halls,  and  a  dungeon,  and  some  old  great  kitchens ; 
and  then  we  climbed  up  some  long  dark  stairs  in  a 
tower,  and  went  to  tli^  very  top  of  it.  It  was  the 
highest  tower  of  all,  and  we  could  see  a  great  distance 
away.  Papa  explained  to  me  who  the  great  noble 
people  were  who  used  to  live  here,  and  told  me  how 
these  old  rooms  I  saw,  that  have  no  roof  to  them  now, 
used  once  to  be  full  of  gay  ladies  and  gentlemen.  I 
saw  a  great  oven  or  an  open  place  at  the  bottom  of  a 
large  chimney,  where  oxen  used  to  be  roasted  whole. 
But  it  is  of  no  use,  Susie,  to  try  and  describe  all  I 
saw.  I  can 't  do  it !  All  around  the  castle  are  beau- 
tiful gardens  and  woods,  and  trees  have  been  brought 
here  from  all  parts  of  the  world. 

There  are  smooth  walks  in  every  direction,  and 
pretty  white  seats  for  people  to  rest,  and  enjoy  the 
views  of  the  city,  or  the  old  Castle,  through  the  trees. 
In  one  part  of  the  woods,  near  the  Castle,  is  an  open 
space,  and  a  large  square  filled  with  white  tables  and 
chairs ;  and  there  is  a  pretty  kind  of  Swiss  house,  too, 
where  people  can  go  to  drink  beer  or  coffee,  or  order 
anything  to  eat.  There  are  concerts  here  in  this  place 
every  week,  and  the  people  come  and  listen  to  the 
music  while  they  are  sipping  their  coffee.     Papa  took 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  Ill 

me  with  him  once,  and  we  had  a  little  table  to  our- 
selves. I  was  hungry,  so  I  had  some  bread  and  butter 
to  eat.  It  was  so  warm  I  took  off  my  hat,  and  so  did 
the  ladies,  some  of  them.  All  the  ladies  had  some 
nice  sewing  or  some  knitting  work  in  their  hands,  and 
worked  very  busily.  I  thought  it  was  a  very  pretty 
sight ;  and  every  body  looked  so  happy,  and  talked  so 
fast,  though  the  moment  the  band  began  to  play,  not 
a  person  was  allowed  to  even  whisper.  One  night 
when  I  was  n't  with  papa  and  mamma,  they  had  some 
trout  to  eat  there.  An  American  gentlemen  ordered 
some  and  they  were  brought  fresh  from  the  water.  I 
asked  papa  to  get  me  some,  but  he  said  they  could 
only  be  caught  with  a  silver  hook,  in  Heidelberg,  and 
so  they  were  not  caught  very  often. 

I  am  tired  telling  so  much  about  the  Castle  ;  what 
can  I  write  next  ?  I  have  become*  acquainted  with 
William,  the  little  Scotch  boy,  who  lived  in  the  house 
with  us,  and  we  have  nice  plaj^s  together  in  the  gar- 
den, and  Caro,  the  dog,  plays  with  us.  I  hope  we  shall 
stay  here  a  long  time,  and  if  I  wasn't  an  American 
girl  I  should  like  to  live  here  always.  But  I  want  to 
go  back  to  America  again,  to  see  you,  and  grandpa, 
and  Aunt  Susan,  and  my  uncles,  and  my  old  play- 
things, too  !  Did  you  know  I  left  a  little  bureau  full 
of  books,  and  toys,  and  doll's  clothes  ?  William  has 
been  in  Switzerland,  and  has  some  very  pretty  toys. 
I  can  hear  him  calling  Caro  now;  and  if  mamma  is 
willing  I  am  going  to  play  with  him. 


112  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 


Thiktieth  Letter. 

HEIDELBEEG. 
My  DEAR  Susie: 

It  is  almost  too  warm  to  write  a  letter,  or  it  would 
be  if  I  were  anywhere  else  in  Heidelberg  than  in  our 
cool  sitting  room,  I  think.  Our  house  is  on  the  side 
of  such  a  high  hill,  and  our  rooms  are  so  large,  that 
we  seem  to  have  a  cool  breeze  here  all  the  time.  But 
if  you  could  look  down  upon  the  city,  from  the  window 
where  I  am  writiflg,  jou  would  think  it  looked  very 
hot.  The  streets  are  narrow,  and  have  no  trees,  and 
the  houses  have  no  blinds. 

We  cannot  see  many  churches,  for  there  are  not 
many  in  Heidelberg  to  be  seen,  and  those  few  do  n't 
look  much  like  our  churches  at  home.  I  went  the 
other  day  with  mamma  and  Miss  Zimmerman,  (she  is 
the  lady  we  live  with,)  and  William  and  his  sisters* 
into  the  old  Roman  Catholic  Church  here,  to  see  some 
ceremonies.  They  have  them  once  a  year,  but  I  do  n't 
know  what  for.  There  was  a  procession  of  little  girls 
dressed  in  white,  with  green  wreaths  on  their  heads, 
and   leaves   and   flowers    in   their  hands ;    and  they 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  113 

walked  aroimd  the  inside  of  the  church,  scattering 
their  flowers  on  the  ground.  Then  a  procession  of 
priests  and  bishops,  dressed  in  the  most  splendid  robes 
of  silk  and  gold,  with  something  on  their  heads  that 
looked  like  crowns,  followed  them ;  and  over  one  man, 
who  was  dressed  the  handsomest  of  all,  four  boys  car- 
ried a  beautiful  silk  canopy,  and  two  other  boys  walked 
under  it,  too,  each  of  them  carrying  a  silver  dish  full 
of  fire,  I  thought  it  was,  but  mamma  said  it  was 
incense.  Little  clouds  of  white  smoke  kept  rising 
from  them  all  the  time.  Very  often  all  the  procession 
would  stop  and  repeat  prayers,  and  kneel  and  make 
the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  do  a  great  many  things  that 
I  didn't  understand  at  all.  The  priests  blessed  the 
people,  and  they  seemed  to  think  their  priests  were  as 
holy  and  good  as  they  could  be.  Perhaps  the  Koman 
Catholics  do  this  in  America,  but  I  never  saw  them, 
and  so  I  have  told  jou  about  it. 

Because  I  have  been  writing  about  the  churches 
here,  it  has  made  me  think  what  sweet  music  we  heard 
from  the  tops  of  some  of  the  churches  yesterday.  You 
will  wonder  what  I  mean ;  but  yesterday  wa§  Sunday, 
and  it  was  the  anniversary  of  the  Keformation,  too. 
If  you  do  n't  understand  that,  ask  Aunt  Susan  to  tell 
you  about  it  and  Martin  Luther.  So  the  bands  of  the 
city  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  churches,  where  there 
is  a  little  kind  of  gallery  made  on  the  outside,  and 
played  the  sweetest  music,  some  of  Luther's  music, 
too.    It  was  just  at  sunrise,  and  the  brass  instruments 

10* 


114  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

flashed  very  brightly  in  the  light.  Of  course  the  music 
was  n't  played  at  all  on  the  E-oman  Catholic  church, 
because  the  Roman  Catholics  did  n't  like  Luther. 
There  is  a  book  which  I  read  before  I  left  America, 
called  the  Schonberg  Cotta  Family,  and  some  parts  of 
it  you  would  like  to  read,  I  know.  It  tells  about 
Luther  when  he  was  a  poor  little  boy. 

I  went  to  a  great  German  church  yesterday.  It 
was  very  large,  and  it  looked  larger  because  there 
were  no  galleries  around  it.  The  women  sat  by  them- 
selves, and  the  men  by  themselves.  Besides  the  music 
of  the  organ,  there  was  a  band  to  play  on  their  instru- 
ments, so  that  when  all  the  people  sung,  the  music 
was  very  loud,  I  can  tell  you.  The  German  people 
sing  much  slower  tunes  than  we  do  at  home,  and 
everybody  sings.  The  hymns  are  not  all  read  first 
by  the  minister,  but  the  numbers  of  the  hymns  are 
printed  in  large  figures,  and  placed  around  in  different 
parts  of  the  church,  so  that  all  can  see  them;  and 
then  when  the  org^n  commences  to  i)lay,  the  ^people 
join  in  with  the  singing.  I  don't  like  to  go  to  a 
German  church  very  well,  because  it  does  n't  seem  to 
be  a  very  cheerful  looking  place,  and  I  can 't  under- 
stand very  well  what  is  said ;  but  I  do  like  to  hear  the 
people  sing,  and  see  them  sit  so  still  in  church.  I 
think  nobody  turns  around  and  gazes  at  other  people 
as  some  Americans  do  at  home. 

Perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  what  I  did  the  rest 
of  the  day,  Susie.    I  went  to  a  Sunday  School.    Do  n't 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  115 

you  think  I  was  liappy  ?  To  be  sure^  it  was  a  German 
school,  and  all  the  children  were  Germans ;  but  it  was 
so  pleasant  to  think  I  was  in  a  Sunday  School  once 
more.    It  made  me  think  of  my  dear  teacher  at  home. 

Papa  and  an  American  gentleman  (that  I  love  very 
much)  took  me,  and  instead  of  going  over  the  bridge, 
we  went  lower  down  and  crossed  the  river  in  a  little 
boat.  Then  we  walked  to  a  village,  where  a  good 
gentleman  has  a  Sunday  School.  An  American  gen- 
tleman was  in  Germany  a  few  years  ago,  and  told  the 
people  about  the  American  Sunday  Schools,  and  some 
of  the  p^eople  commenced  having  them  here  ;  .but  there 
is  only  one  in  Heidelberg.  It  did  n't  look  like  ours  at 
home,  and  the  teachers  didn't  teach  just  the  same  way 
that  ours  do.  But  they  had  little  papers,  and  some  of 
the  stories  and  hymns  are  just  like  ours,  because  they 
are  copied  from  our  papers,  and  only  changed  into 
German.  I  heard  them  sing  "1  want  to  be  an  angel," 
in  German,  and  I  was  so  glad  to  hear  that  prettj^  tune 
again  in  a  Sunday  School. 

Now  I  have  finished  my  letter !  I  commenced  by 
telling  you  how  warm  it  was,  and  now  I  have  just 
been  writing  about  a  Sunday  School.  I  can't  keep 
to  one  thing,  Susie  ! 


116  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 


Thikty-First  Letter. 

HEIDELBERG. 

Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

It  is  so  nice  to  go  up  on  the  top  of  this  house,  to 
sit,  in  the  evenings  !  The  roof  is  flat,  and  veijy  often 
just  at  sunset  we  take  some  cushions  with  us,  and  sit 
there  till  I  have  to  go  to  bed.  Then  we  can  see  the 
people  in  the  streets,  and  the  river,  and  the  old  Castle, 
and  the  sunset.  I  am  in  bed  and  asleep  when  the 
rest  of  the  people  in  the  house  go  to  see  the  ruins  by 
moonlight,  and  I  do  n't  have  any  evening  walks.  But 
almost  every  morning  after  breakfast  I  have  a  walk 
with  papa,  and  Caro  follows  us.  We  go  to  the  post 
office  first ;  not  to  see  if  there  are  any  letters  for  us, 
because  in  this  country  all  the  letters  are  carried  to 
the  houses;  but  we  buy  stamps,  or  send  letters  to 
somebody  very  often.  We  send  home  to  our  friends  a 
great  many  different  kinds  of  stamps,  but  we  hear  that 
the  American  postmasters  take  them  off.  We  have 
different  money  here  to  buy  stamps  and  things  with, 
from  what  we  had  in  Bonn,  and  we  have  to  pay  a 
great  many  of  these  little  kreutzers  to  get  anything. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  117 

Oh,  there  are  so  many  nice  things  to  buy  here ! 
But  mamma  says,  when  we  get  to  some  great  cities 
that  we  are  going  to,  I  shall  see  many  prettier  things 
that  I  want.  Mamma  doesn't  like  to  go  shopping 
alone  very  well  here  in  Germany,  and  it  is  n't  very 
safe  to  send  papa,  for  he  makes  such  funny  mistakes ! 
I  had  something  bought  for  me  two  days  ago  that  I 
liked  very  much ;  that  was,  a  sash  of  red,  white  and 
blue  ribbpn.  The  next  day  was  Fourth  of  July,  and 
we  had  n't  any  flag ;  so  mamma  said  I  might  have  a 
long  sash  to  wear  with  my  muslin  dress.  We  couldn't 
find  a  broad  ribbon  made  of  those  three  colors,  and 
mamma  bought  narrow  ribbon  and  sewed  it  together ; 
so  it  looked  just  like  one  piece.  It  was  the  most 
quiet  Fourth  of  Jul}^  I  ever  saw,  because  of  course  the 
Germans  did  n't  celebrate  it,  and  the  greatest  pleasure 
I  had  was  to  wear  my  red,  white  and  blue  sash,  and 
to  go  down  stairs  to  visit  William.  His  sisters  are 
young  ladies,  but  they  are  very  kind  ta  me,  and  they 
asked  mamma  if  I  might  take  tea  with  them.  So  I 
did,  and  they  asked  me  to  sing  the  Star  Spangled 
Banner. 

We  did  n't  have  any  fire-works  to  see ;  but  one  eve- 
ning lately  we  saw  something  about  as  pretty.  I  had 
gone  to  bed ;  but  papa  called  me  to  get  up,  and  we 
saw  some  boats  filled  with  students  sailing  down  the 
river,  and  every  one  had  a  great  flaming  torch,  which 
lighted  up  his  face,  and  they  all  together  made  the 
river  and  the  shore  light.     They  were  singing  merry 


118  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

songs,  and  every  few  minutes  they  threw  up  pretty 
colored  balls  —  some  like  ours  at  fire- works  —  into  the 
air,  and  then  the  sparks  would  fall  upon  the  water, 
and  it  looked  beautifully. 

I  ought  to  write  to  you  a  very  good  letter,  to-day, 
Susie,  because  we  are  going  away  this  week,  probably, 
and  I  shall  have  so  many  new  things  to  see,  that  I 
can 't  write  any  more  about  Heidelberg.  I  can 't  tell 
you  about  all  my  nice  walks,  because  they  have  been 
so  many.  I  have  n't  yet  been  tired  once  of  looking  at 
the  old  Castle,  and  every  time  I  go  there  I  find  some- 
thing which  I  had  n't  seen  before.  Sometimes  mamma 
and  I  go  there  to  stay  two  or  three  hours ;  she  reads, 
and  I  play  with  my  dolls  and  make  beds  for  them 
among  the  leaves.  One  day  I  carried  my  slate  and 
pencil,  and  tried  to  draw  a  picture  of  a  part  of  the 
Castle,  as  I  had  seen  some  ladies  do ;  but  it  was  n't  a 
very  pretty  picture,  you  would  have  thought. 

I  am  very  sorry  we  are  going  away  so  soon;  but 
papa  wishes  to  see  some  libraries  in  Gotha,  and  so  we 
are  going  there.  It  is  a  very  long  way  from  here, 
and  we  shall  go  to  Frankfort  to  stop  a  few  days  on  the 
way,  and  perhaps  some  other  places,  too.  Then  I  will 
write  again.  I  am  sorry  we  cannot  stay  here  till  the 
grapes  are  ripe,  for  this  is  the  country  for  them,  and  I 
am  afraid  in  Gotha  we  shall  not  find  so  many.  But 
there  is  always  something  nice  in  every  place,  and  so 
I  will  try  and  be  happy. 

I  wish  you  were  here  to  see  this  house,  and  this 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  119 

pretty  place,  and  our  kind  friends,  before  we  go  away. 
If  yon  and  Mary  and  Annie  and  little  Walter  were 
only  with  me  all  the  time,  how  glad  I  should  be ! 
You  do  n't  know  Walter,  do  you  ?  He  is  the  dearest 
little  boy,  and  such  a  rogue ! 

Good  bye,  Susie,  now !  Do  n't  forget  that  I  send 
Aunt  Susan  a  kiss  in  every  letter  I  write.  Sometimes 
I  forget  to  speak  of  it,  though. 


120  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


Thlrty-Secokd  Letter. 

FRANKFOET-ON-T  HE-MAIN. 
Dear  Susie: 

It  is  raining  so  hard  this  afternoon  that  I  must  stay 
in-doors;  and  because  my  playthings  are  aU  packed 
up  in  the  trunks,  I  have  n't  anything  to  do.  I  have 
looked  out  of  the  window  and  watched  the  people  till 
I  am  tired,  and  so  mamma  has  given  me  a  sheet  of 
paper  and  advised  me  to  write  to  you.  We  have  been 
here  a  day  and  a  half,  and  have  seen  a  number  of 
pretty  places  and  things,  although  it  has  rained  almost 
all  the  time.  When  we  came  from  Heidelberg  in  the 
cars,  we  had  a  terrible  thunder  shower ;  and  the  hail 
beat  so  against  the  windows  that  we  were  all  fright- 
ened, and  it  has  n't  been  pleasant  since. 

We  stay  in  a  hotel  while  we  are  in  Frankfort.  It 
is  very  amusing  to  see  the  different  names  on  the 
hotels.  Some  are  called  the  White  Swan,  the  Green 
Tree,  the  Golden  Ball,  and  some  have  no  words  paint- 
ed at  all,  but  only  the  sign  of  a  gold  fish,  or  a  great 
crab,  or  something  as  funny.  We  walked  around  some, 
yesterday,  and  when  we  came  near  the  great  Cathe- 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  121 

dral,  there  were  so  many  market  women  selling  meat 
and  fowls  and  vegetables  and  all  kinds  of  fruit  around 
it,  that  we  could  hardly  get  up  to  the  door.  But  we 
at  last  went  in,  and  saw  the  people  having  the  same 
service  that  they  did  at  Cologne.  The  church  looked 
very  old  but  it  was  n't  very  pretty ;  and  after  we  had 
looked  at  the  paintings  we  went  to  the  top  of  the 
tower.  Oh,  dear,  what  a  long  journey  it  was  to  get 
there !  And  when  we  were  at  the  very  top,  where  it 
is  so  high  that  the  people  down  in  the  streets  look 
like  little  boys  and  girls,  we  found  a  little  house  there. 
I  mean  there  were  two  or  three  rooms  finished  off, 
where  a  family  lived  who  took  care  of  the  great  bell. 
Would  n't  it  seem  strange  to  live  in  the  top  of  such  a 
high  tower?  It  would  be  some  like  Jack's  house 
on  the  bean-stalk,  wouldn't  it?  When  the  people 
wanted  water,  a  boy  went  down  and  fastened  a  pail 
full  to  some  ropes  which  run  on  the  outside,  from  this 
house  to  the  ground,  and  they  had  a  contrivance  for 
drawing  it  up. 

It  made  me  think  of  London  to  walk  through  the 
streets  yesterday ;  for  there  were  so  many  people  and 
carriages,  and  such  beautiful  stores.  I  thought  some 
of  the  things  I  saw  were  much  prettier  than  they 
were  in  London.  There  is  one  great  street  here  which 
seems  to  have  everything  on  it.  It  is  called  the  Zeil. 
We  went  to  some  picture  galleries,  and  to  some  sculp- 
ture galleries,  and  visited  houses  where  distinguished 
men  have  lived,  and  saw  pretty  gardens  and  statues. 


122  HELEN    ON^    HER    TRAVELS. 

and  we  thought  that  Frankfort  would  be  a  very  fine 
place  to  live  in.  There  were  many  soldiers  in  the 
streets  who  wore  different  kinds  of  uniforms.  If  j^ou 
should  walk  through  some  of  the  streets,  you  would 
think  Frankfort  must;  be  a  very  new  city,  because  the 
streets  are  broad,  and  the  houses  so  neat  and  beautiful. 
But  there  is  a  part  which  is  very  old,  and  there  is  one 
street  which  papa  says  every  stranger  visits,  because 
it  is  so  very  old.  I  hardly  ever  saw  such  a  disagreea- 
ble, strange-looking  place ;  and  we  came  upon  it  so 
suddenly,  just  after  looking  at  handsome  things,  that, 
as  mamma  said,  we  seemed  to  be  in  another  world. 
It  is  where  the  Jews  live ;  and  the  street  is  called  the 
Jews'  street.  It  is  very  narrow,  very  narrow  indeed; 
and  the  houses  are  so  high  and  black,  and  so  old  look- 
ing, that  it  seemed  as  though  they  would  really  tumble 
over.  The  lower  part  of  the  houses  w^ere  generally 
little  shops,  where  people  bought  or  sold  things.  We 
saw  many  old  clothes  hung  up  at  the  doors. 

The  men  and  women,  and  the  children,  too,  had 
such  a  strange  look.  The}^  didn't  look  as  though 
they  were  good,  and  some  of  them  were  very  dirty 
and  ragged,  as  though  they  must  be  very  poor.  The 
men  were  trying  to  sell  things,  and  were  talking  so 
loud  that  I  thought  they  were  quarrelling ;  and  the 
women  and  children  were  sitting  on  the  door-stej)S. 
Papa  said  if  we  walked  through  we  could  take  our  own 
time  for  looking  at  the  houses,  better  than  if  we  rode. 
He  inquired  which  was  the  old  Rothschild  house,  and 


HELEN    OX    HEE    TRAVELS.  123 

I  think  it  was  a  better  looking  one  than  many  of  the 
others.  You  have  heard  what  very  rich  men  the 
E/Othschilds  are,  have  n't  you  ?  Only  think,  this  old 
house  used  to  be  their  home,  and  now  they  live  in 
palaces !  At  one  end  of  this  dark,  narro^v  street  is 
the  Jews'  Synagogue,  and  it  looked  very  new  and 
prett}^  on  the  outside ;  but  we  could  n't  go  into  it. 

I  did  n't  know  I  had  written  so  much  !  I  hope  you 
will  like  to  read  this  letter,  for  I  have  liked  to  write  it. 
It  has  made  me  forget  the  rainy  weather.  We  are 
not  going  to  be  here  much  longer.  After  we  have 
taken  our  long  journey,  I  shall  write  again,  and  tell 
you  how  I  enjoyed  it. 

Do  n't  forget  me,  Susie  !     I  do  n't  forget  you  ! 


124  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


Thirty-Third  Letter. 

GOTHA. 
Deak  Cousin  Susie: 

I  commenced  a  letter  to  you,  telling  about  the  home 
we  have  here  ;  and  then  I  remembered  you  had  not 
heard  anything  about  our  journey  to  Erankfort.  But 
there  isn't  much  to  tell  about  it,  for  it  was  a  very 
warm  day  when  we  started,  and  I  thought  such  a  long 
ride  was  very  tedious. 

When  we  left  Frankfort,  early  in  the  morning,  we 
took  the  express  train,  and  rode  fast  enough  for  three 
or  four  hours ;  then  papa  wanted  to  stop  at  a  little 
city,  to  see  a  friend  ;  and  just  by  our  waiting  there  for 
him  to  make  a  call,  we  lost  the  only  express  train  there 
was  before  night.  So  we  had  to  take  the  slow  train, 
as  it  is  called ;  that  is,  a  long  train  of  baggage  cars, 
and  a  great  many  third-class  cars ;  and  it  stops  at 
every  station  on  the  road.  But  we  had  a  good  chance 
to  see  the  country.  We  should  have  enjoj^ed  it  more 
if  we  could  only  have  gone  faster ;  for  there  was  only 
one  second-class  car  in  the  train,  and  we  had  it  all  to 
ourselves,  and  I  lay  down  on  the  nice  cushions  and 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  125 

had  a  good  nap.  We  rode  on  till  six  o'clock,  then  we 
were  obliged  to  wait  nearly  two  hours  for  another 
train.  We  had  some  supper,  and  took  a  walk  to  a 
little  village  about  a  mile  away.  You  never  saw  such 
a  place !  Papa  says  that  German  villages  are  all 
alike ;  but  this  was  the  worst  looking  one  I  ever  saw. 
Some  of  the  houses  were  unpainted,  and  were  sur- 
rounded by  dirty  yards,  where  the  cows  and  pigs  lived, 
and  some  were  only  whitewashed.  I  thought  it  was 
ver}^  strange,  when  I  first  came  to  Grermany,  to  see  all 
the  beams  of  the  houses  in  plain  sight.  In  every 
G-erman  village  you  can  see  in  every  house  the  great 
beams  running  across  each  other ;  sometimes  they  are 
painted  in  a  different  color  from  the  rest  of  the  house, 
and  sometimes  not  painted  at  all.  The  people  in  this 
little  place  gazed  after  us  as  though  they  had  never 
seen  any  strangers  before  :  but  they  were  very  polite, 
for  the  men  all  took  off  their  hats,  and  the  women 
spoke  very  civilly.  Papa  said,  if  we  would  like  to  we 
could  spend  the  night,  so  that  we  could  see  the  inside 
of  a  German  inn  in  a  village ;  but  everything  and 
everybody  looked  too  untidy  to  tempt  us  much. 

And  yet  we  did  have  to  spend  the  night  in  a  village 
and  in  a  little  inn,  although  it  was  a  little  cleaner. 
We  took  the  evening  train,  and  papa  thought  we 
could  at  least  get  as  far  as  Eisenach  that  night. 
Eisenach  is  a  place  which  strangers  visit,  because 
there  is  an  old  castle  there,  where  Martin  Luther  used 
to  live.     But  we  did  n't  get  to  Eisenach,  for  between 


126  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

eleven  and  twelve  o'clock  mamma  woke  me  up,  and 
said  tlie  cars  had  stopped  and  we  could  go  no  further. 
When  we  stepped  upon  the  platform,  we  found  we 
were  near  a  little  village,  and  must  walk  through  the 
fields  to  get  to  a  hotel  or  any  place  to  sleep.  There 
were  some  more  people  stopped  with  us,  and  though 
we  were  all  tired  and  sleepy,  we  could  n't  help  laugh- 
ing, for  the  man  who  showed  us  the  way  with  a  lan- 
tern was  so  stupid  that  it  seemed  as  though  he  did  n't 
know  what  to  do  with  us.  At  last  we  came  to  a  small 
house,  and  went  up  some  steep,  narrow  stairs  to  our 
rooms.  The  man  left  us  a  tallow  candle  to  see  by, 
and  told  us  we  had  the  best  chambers  in  the  house. 
We  wondered  what  the  worst  could  be,  if  ours  were 
the  best;  for  the  floor  was  not  very  clean,  and  the 
table  and  chairs  were  so  covered  with  dust  that  we 
couldn't  lay  our  things  on  them  till  we  had  wiped 
them  with  a  towel.  And  oh,  such  beds  !  Have  I  ever 
told  you  about  the  German  beds  ?  They  are  always 
made  narrow,  for  one  person,  and  have  a  feather  bed 
to  sleep  on  instead  of  a  mattrass,  and  generally  a 
feather  bed  to  sleep  under,  too,  instead  of  a  blanket  or 
spread.  In  our  nice  homes  along  the  Ehine  we  have 
always  had  sheets,  and  generally  a  coverlet,  instead  of 
a  thick  feather  bed,  to  cover  us  with  ;  but  in  this  house 
I  am  telling  you  about,  we  had  no  sheets  and  no  white 
cases  to  the  beds  either.  Each  of  our  beds  was  made 
up  in  the  same  way,  with  a  thick,  soft  feather  bed, 
covered  with  pink  calico,  to  sleep  on,  and  another  like 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  127 

it  to  put  over  us.  How  would  you  like  such,  a  bed  in 
a  hot  July  night  ?     I  know  we  did  n't  sleep  much  ! 

For  breakfast  we  had  some  miserable  coffee  and 
some  hard,  dry  bread,  and  then  we  were  glad  to  leave 
such  a  funny  place,  and  take  the  morning  train  for 
Gotha.  I  think  I  shall  like  Gotha ;  it  seems  to  be  a 
pretty  little  city,  and  if  we  get  a  pleasant  home,  I 
shall  have  a  great  many  things  to  write  to  you  about. 
We  could  n't  find  any  rooms  to  be  let,  and  papa  was 
almost  discouraged  looking  for  them.  At  last  we 
heard  of  this  place,  and  we  shall  go  away  as  soon  as 
we  can  get  a  better  one.  We  are  on  a  pretty  street, 
but  we  have  to  go  through  such  a  dark  entry  and  up 
such  a  bad  staircase ;  and  there  is  a  soap  shop  below, 
so  we  are  smelling  soap  all  the  time  in  these  hot  daj^s. 

I  wish  I  knew  what  you  are  doing  now  !  Are  you 
writing  a  letter  to  me  ? 


128  HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


Thirty-Foukth  Letter. 

GOTHA. 

Dear  Cousijt  Susie: 

I  wish  you  could  see  how  pretty  Gotha  is !  It 
hasn't  aii}^  great  river  Ehine,  like  Bonn,  nor  any 
beautiful  old  castle,  like  Heidelberg;  but  all  around 
the  city  are  handsome  houses,  and  great  gardens  and 
parks.  Perhaps  you  will  think,  because  I  said  there 
was  no  beautiful  old  castle  here,  that  there  is  n^t  any ; 
but  there  is.  It  is  an  immense  building  on  a  hill,  but 
the  walls  are  not  broken  down  like  those  at  Heidel- 
berg, and  it  is  n't  pretty,  either.  I  can 't  tell  you  a 
great  deal  about  the  town  itself,  for  it  seems  very 
much  like  the  other  places  in  Germany  that  I  have 
written  about ;  only  I  think  it  is  the  neatest,  clean- 
est city  I  have  seen.  There  are  no  walls  and  gates, 
and  no  trees.  The  streets  are  very  narrow,  but  have 
better  sidewalks  than  in  Bonn,  because  there  they 
w^ere  so  narrow  that  only  one  person  could-  walk  along 
nicely.  The  houses  are  packed  closely  together,  and 
have  no  blinds;  and  they  look  so  hot  this  summer 
weather.     The  gutters  at  the  side  of  the  street  are 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  129 

covered  over  with  boards ;  they  are  not  filled  with 
dirty  water,  because  clean  water  is  forced  into  them, 
and  is  all  the  time  running  through  them.  When  I 
am  walking  along,  I  often  see  the  servant  girls  lifting 
up  a  loose  board  and  dipping  their  pails  into  the  water. 
The  people  do  n't  drink  this  water,  but  I  suppose  it  is 
clean  enough  to  wash  floors  and  stairs  with. 

You  would  laugh  if  you  could  see  the  peasant 
women  here,  and  the  funny  way  they  dress.  They 
do  n't  wear  white  handkerchiefs  on  their  heads,  as  did 
those  of  Bonn,  but  the  strangest  looking  bonnets  and 
head  dresses !  When  they  come  into  market  with 
fruit  and  vegetables,  they  have  a  kind  of  old-fashioned 
bonnet,  with  a  band  of  black  ribbon  over  it,  perched 
on  the  top  of  their  heads;  but  Sundays,  and  when 
they  seem  to  be  dressed  up  a  little,  they  wear  a  kind 
of — I  don't  really  know  what  to  call  it — turban,  or 
something,  made  of  black  satin  ribbon.  Some  black 
silk  is  bound  around  the  head,  something  like  a  tur- 
ban, and  on  the  top  of  it  are  placed  several  enormous 
bows  of  ribbon,  with  wire  in  them,  so  they  will  stand 
up  straight,  and  then  streamers  of  ribbon,  two  or  three 
yards  long,  hang  down  the  back.  They  wear  them  to 
church,  and  seem  to  think  they  are  as  pretty  as  j'-ou 
and  I  do  a  new  hat.  That  makes  me  think,  Susie,  do 
you  wear  the  same  hat  you  did  last  summer  ?  I  see 
all  kinds  of  hats  here,  and  all  kinds  of  dresses,  though 
the  G-erman  ladies  dress  very  much  like  the  American 
ladies,  mamma  says. 


130  HELEK    ON    HEK   TRAVELS. 

It  seems  so  strange  to  see  women  work  so  hard  as 
tliey  do  in  Germany.  Whenever  we  have  rode  through 
the  country  the  poor  women  have  been  digging  in  the 
fields,  or  ploughing,  or  sawing  wood,  and  their  little 
children  would  he  helping  them.  Once  we  saw  a 
mother  at  work  digging,  and  her  little  hshj  was  asleep 
in  a  cradle  near  her,  out  in  the  fields. 

Very  often,  here  in  Gotha,  I  see  women  harnessed 
into  carts,  and  drawing  great  loads,  as  though  they 
were  horses.  Sometimes  a  dog  or  donkey  will  be  fas- 
tened in  with  them,  for  they  make  the  dogs  work  very 
hard.  Every  day  little  carts,  and  sometimes  great 
ones,  go  past  our  house,  full  of  milk,  or  vegetables,  or 
bags  of  meal,  and  poor  dogs  have  to  draw"  them,  and 
a  little  boy  or  girl  walks  along  by  the  side  to  drive 
the  dogs  and  to  help  unload  the  things  when  they  get 
to  market.  I  pity  the  poor  peasant  women  so  much ! 
They  do  n't  carry  their  baskets  of  wood  and  vegetables 
on  their  heads,  as  the  Bonn  women  did,  but  on  their 
backs;  and  though  they  look  so  stout  and*  strong, 
sometimes  they  are  bent  almost  double  by  having  such 
a  heavy  load.  There  are  two  leather  straps  fastened 
to  their  baskets,  and  they  slip  their  arms  through 
these,  and  then  walk  sometimes  many  miles.  Every 
Wednesday  and  Saturday  they  come  in  from  the  coun- 
try to  the  markets  here,  and  then  mamma  and  I  have 
a  chance  to  get  nice  fruit ;  and  our  landlady  gets  our 
fresh  butter  and  eggs  then,  too.  The  only  trouble  we 
have  in  going  to  buy  anything  is,  the  peasants  speak 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  131 

such  bad  German  we  can  hardly  understand  them. 
There  are  no  Americans  in  Gotha,  and  only  a  few 
English  people,  so  we  do  n't  hear  much  but  German  ; 
but  it  is  so  hard  to  learn  to  speak  it  that  I  can 't  say 
many  sentences  yet.  If  I  go  to  a  Kindergarden,  per- 
haps I  shall  learn  faster. 

The  shops  here  are  not  very  nice.  I  almost  think 
the  butcher  shops  are  the  best  of  all.  You  will  laugh 
at  that,  but  the  butcher  shops  are  very  different  from 
ours.  They  are  as  neat  as  your  sitting  room,  and  the 
meat  is  either  laid  on  marble  shelves,  or  hung  up  on 
pretty  hooks.  They  sell  a  great  many  sausages  here^ 
(papa  says  the  Gotha  sausage  is  famous,)  and  they  are 
hung  in  rows  in  the  windows.  I  like  to  eat  the  sau- 
sages, but  I  cannot  swallow  the  black  bread,  it  is  so 


132  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVP:LS. 


Thirty-Fifth  Letter. 

GOTHA. 
Dear  Susie: 

I  am  sitting  on  a  beantiful  balcony  to  write  this 
letter.  I  must  tell  you  how  we  happened  to  come  to 
such  a  pretty  place.  Do  you  remember  I  told  you 
that  we  had  not  a  pleasant  home  here  in  Gotha? 
Papa  made  inquiries  for  rooms,  but  he  could  n't  find 
any  until  he  had  advertised  in  the  papers,  and  then 
he  found  this  place  where  we  are  now.  I  am  so  glad 
we  came  here,  for  we  have  such  a  pleasant,  kind  land- 
lady, (though  she  is  a  very  old  lady,)  and  she  has  such 
a  good-natured  servant.  We  have  a  pretty  sitting 
room,  and  then,  best  of  all,  we  have  this  great  balcony, 
as  large  as  a  room,  which  leads  off  from  the  sitting 
room.  I  have  so  much  room  now,  that  mamma  says 
there  will  be  no  excuse  for  me  if  she  finds  my  books 
and  dolls'  clothes  out  of  order;  and  I  have  a  little 
bureau  to  keep  my  things  in. 

The  furniture  in  our  rooms  is  very  old-fashioned : 
the  sofa  has  such  a  prim-looking  back  and  arms,  and 
the  great   arm  chairs   look    so   dignified  that    I    am 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  133 

almost  afraid  to  sit  in  one ;  but  they  are  pretty, 
too,  for  the  seats  and  backs  are  beautifully  embroid- 
ered with  worsted  roses  and  leaves.  The  old  lady  we 
live  with  says  her  daughters  used  to  do  such  work 
many  years  ago,  and  she  told  us  the  three  portraits  on 
the  wall  were  her  three  daughters.  Whenever  I 
glance  up  at  them  their  eyes  seem  to  be  looking  right 
at  me,  and  follow  me  everywhere  about  the  room. 
Is  n't  it  strange  that  the  eyes  of  a  portrait  follow  us 
so?  We  have  a  number  of  nice  tables,  and  pretty 
little  seats,  and  a  large  "writing  desk  in  our  sitting 
room ;  and  in  one  corner  is  a  white  porcelain  stove. 
It  rests  on  the  floor  and  reaches  almost  to  the  top  of 
the  room.  There  are  four  sides  to  it;  and  on  the 
front  side  and  the  top  are  pretty  figures  made  out  of 
porcelain.  There  are  two  little  bright  brass  doors,  too, 
and  I  almost  wish  cold  weather  would  come,  so  that 
I  could  see  if  it  warms  the  room  like  our  stoves  at 
home.  Papa  says  it  takes  a  long  time  to  heat  up  such 
a  stove,  but  it  keeps  the  heat  a  long  time. 

On  one  side  of  our  room  is  a  pretty  arch  of  lattice 
work,  covered  with  green  ivy ;  and  when  we  wish  to 
go  on  the  balcony  we  open  a  glass  door  under  this 
arch.  Oh,  it  is  the  very  nicest  place  out  here !  It 
seems  like  a  kind  of  room  out  of  doors ;  for  there  is  a 
little  fence  all  around  it,  so  no  one  can  fall  down,  (it 
is  one  story  up  from  the  street,)  and  there  are  white 
settees  and  tables  in  it,  where  we  can  sit  and  read  or 
sew,  or  have  our  tea.     There  is  no  roof,  but  a  great 

12 


134  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

tree  hangs  over  it,  and  shades  it  from  the  sun.  Every 
morning  I  bring  my  playthings  out  here,  and  play ; 
and  if  I  am  tired  of  them,  there  is  enough  for  me  to 
see  around  me.  The  Duke's  palace  is  very  near  us, 
just  across  the  street,  and  beautiful  houses  and  gar- 
dens &11  around  us.  Our  house  is  on  one  side  of  a 
square,  so  we  can  see  the  streets  on  both  sides  of  us, 
and  in  front,  too.  It  is  much  pleasanter  being  a  little 
way  out  of  the  city,  as  we  are  now,  for  the  houses  are 
better,  and  the  trees  and  gardens  much  prettier. 

I  like  very  much  to  watch  the  people  and  carriages 
going  by.  The  street  on  one  side  of  us  leads  to  the 
depot,  so  that  all  day  long  people  are  going  and  com- 
ing. There  are  some  people  who  ride  along  in  splen- 
did carriages,  and  perhaps  just  after  or  before  them 
will  be  a  cart  drawn  by  donkeys,  and  a  woman  or  a 
boy  driving  them.  But  Sunday  is  the  time  to  see  the 
people  pass ;  and  it  seems  all  day  as  though  it  must 
be  some  great  holiday.  Ju'st  as  soon  as  I  look  out  of 
the  windows  in  the  morning,  I  see  men  and  women 
and  children  hurrying  past  to  take  the  train.  They 
are  all  dressed  in  their  best  clothes,  and  are  going  to 
some  favorite  place  to  spend  the  day.  And  the  peas- 
ant men  and  women  come  crowding  into  the  city,  to 
go  to  church,  or  to  walk  in  the  parks,  or  to  go  to  the 
beer  gardens.  The  little  boys  and  girls  who  come 
from  the  country  are  dressed  like  old  men  and  women, 
but  they  do  n't  seem  to  think  so. 

I  have  just  been  stopping  for  a  few  minutes  to  see 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  135 

the  guards  changed  at  the  palace.  You  would  n't 
think  .such  a  plain  looking  house  could  be  called  a 
palace,  but  the  Duke  lives  here  in  the  winters,  and  so 
soldiers  stand  before  it  all  day  and  night.  Once  in 
two  hours  new  ones  come  from  the  castle,  and  the 
others  go  away.  I  like  to  hear  the  officers  give  the 
loud  commands  to  them.  But  instead  of  looking  at 
them,  I  ought  to  have  been  writing  my  letter  to  you. 
Can  you  read  my  writing  easily,  Susie  ?  » 


mm 


136  HELEN    ON    HEK   TRAVELS. 


Thirty-Sixth  Letter. 

GOTHA. 

Dear  Susie: 

I  want  to  tell  you  where  we  went  to  church  yester- 
day. The  Sunday  before  we  attended  the  church  in  the 
old  palace  on  the  hill.  It  is  called  the  Koyal  Church, 
because  the  Duke  and  his  court  attend  it  when  they 
are  in  Gotha.  I  suppose  you  don't  know  that  this 
Duke  I  write  about  is  the  brother-in-law  of  Queen  Vic- 
toria. Prince  Albert,  who  died,  was  his  own  brother. 
I  did  n't  know  it  till  papa  told  me.  That  church  was 
very  handsome  in  the  inside;  there  were  beautiful 
pictures  and  carving,  and  the  pulpit  for  the  minister 
was  splendid,  and  the  music  was  very  pretty ;  but  as 
the  service  was  in  German,  of  course  I  could  n't  under- 
stand very  well  many  things.  It  seems  very  different 
in  a  German  church  from  an  American  church ;  you 
know  in  America  the  people  can  sit  in  any  part  of  the 
house  they  wish,  if  they  only  pay  for  their  seats ;  but 
in  this  country  the  seats  are  all  free,  and  people  can 
sit  anywhere  if  they  only  sit  with  their  own  class.  I 
mean,  that  the  Duke  and  his  friends  have  a  certain 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  137 

part  given  to  them,  and  they  have  velvet  cushioned 
chairs  to  sit  on ;  and  the  very  rich  people,  and  those 
who  hold  some  high  office,  have  a  certain  place  for 
them  to  sit.  Their  seats  are  generally  in  the  gallery, 
and  the  rest  of  the  congregation  sit  below  where  they 
please ;  only  mamma  and  I  noticed  that  the  peasant 
women  and  girls  with  their  long  black  streamers  sat  a 
good  way  back ;  and  the  servant  girls,  too,  who  wear 
nothing  on  their  heads.  Would  n't  it  look  funny  in 
America  to  see  women  come  in  to  a  meeting  without 
any  kind  of  a  bonnet  on  their  heads  ?  I  have  seen 
hundreds  do  s5  in  Germany. 

But  I  had  quite  forgotten  that  I  was  going  to  tell 
you  about  the  Moravian  church,  which  we  went  to 
yesterday.  It  was  a  few  miles  away,  and  when  we 
reached  the  little  village  where  the  Moravians  live,  it 
seemed  as  though  it  was  the  first  quiet  place  we  had 
seen  on  Sabbath  day  in  Germany.  The  streets  were 
all  still,  for  the  stores  were  closed,  and  the  people  were 
in  their  houses.  We  went  to  the  little  church,  which 
looked  almost  like  a  plain  house,  and  waited  till  the 
people  came ;  but  it  was  not  long,  for  the  service  com- 
menced early.  I  did  wish  you  were  with  me,  for  you 
would  have  seen  what  you  never  did  before !  The 
men  and  boys  came,  dressed  in  black,  all  of  them,  and 
went  in  at  one  door,  and  sat  by  themselves ;  and  the 
ladies  and  girls  sat  by  themselves.  The  ladies  all  wore 
plain  looking  dresses  and  capes,  and  on  their  heads 
they  wore  little  white  muslin  or  lace  caps,  just  alike. 


138  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

The  only  difference  about  these  caps  was,  they  were 
tied  and  trimmed  with  different  colors  of  ribbon.  If 
they  were  widows,  they  wore  white ;  if  they  were 
married,  they  wore  blue ;  and  the  others  wore  a  deep 
shade  of  pink.  The  young  ladies  and  little  girls  were 
dressed  in  the  same  manner,  only  their  caps  were 
trimmed  with  light  pink  ribbon.  They  all  went  into 
church  in  procession,  and  sat  by  themselves  in  seats 
before  the  minister.  I  sat  with  mamma  at  one  side, 
and  I  did  n't  see  one  of  them  turn  around  to  look  at 
the  others,  but  when  they  were  not  singing  they  kept 
their  hands  folded,  and  were  perfectly  still.  I  hardly 
dared  to  move  ;  and  once  when  I  sneezed,  I  was  almost 
afraid  I  should  be  sent  out.  I  can't  tell  you  what  the 
minister  said,  but  he  seemed  to  preach  as  though  he 
wanted  to  do  the  people  good.  The  singing  was 
beautiful,  and  everybody  sung.  The  strangers  have 
seats  at  the  side  of  the  church,  and  the  peasant 
women  sit  there,  too.  Two  of  them  sat  by  me,  and 
their  dress  looked  as  strangely  as  that  of  the  Moravian 
ladies. 

When  church  was  over,  all  went  out  in  procession, 
and  then  we  walked  into  the  burying  ground  behind 
the  church.  It  was  a  very  pretty,  quiet  spot,  but  it 
was  very  unlike  our  cemeteries  at  home.  The  grave 
stones,  instead  of  standing  at  the  head  of  the  graves, 
were  in  the  form  of  a  cross  sometimes,  and  were 
always  lying  on  the  top  of  the  grave  mound.  The 
men  and  women  were  each  buried  by  themselves,  in 


HELEN    01^    HER    TRAVELS.  139 

long  rows,  one  after  the  other ;  and  the  one  who  was 
huried  last  came  at  the  end  of  the  long  row.  The 
little  children  were  by  themselves ;  and  on  their  grave 
stones  were  such  pretty  German  words,  which  didn't 
say  they  had  died,  hut  had  fallen  asleep,  or  had  gone 
home.  Papa  says  there  are  some  excellent  christian 
people  among  the  Moravians,  and  I  should  like  to  go 
to  their  church  again. 

Can  you  understand  at  all  what  a  pleasant  day  we 
had,  from  what  I  have  written  ? 

I  am  going  to  a  Kindergarten  in  two  or  three  days. 


140  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


Thirty-Seventh  Letter. 

GOTHA. 
Dear  Susie: 

I  go  to  the  Kindergarten  every  day,  but  I  wish  I 
could  say  I  liked  to  go.  If  it  was  only  in  America, 
and  there  was  an  American  teacher  and  scholars,  it 
would  be  much  pleasanter  for  me.  But  I  am  learning 
fast  to  speak  German,  so  that  perhaps  in  a  week  or 
two  I  shall  enjoy  more  going  to  this  school.  There 
are  a  great  many  little  children  there,  and  some  are 
almost  babies ;  for  they  are  allowed  to  enter  the  Kin- 
dergarten when  they  are  only  three  years  old.  Then 
there  are  a  few  boys  and  girls  as  large  as  I  am.  We 
have  great  rooms  to  stay  in,  and  we  do  n't  have  to 
study  at  all.  I  thought  it  was  very  nice,  the  first 
few  days,  to  play  so  much ;  but  now  I  am  a  little  tired 
of  the  same  things  over  and  over.  There  are  a  great 
many  teachers,  and  they  try  to  think  of  different 
games  for  us,  and  different  things  to  make  ;  but  we 
generally  know  what  will  come  for  each  day  of  the 
week.  When  we  go  in  the  morning,  for  a  long  time 
the  whole  school  stay  together,  and  we  have  games 
and  marches  and  songs ;  some  of  them  are  so  funny 
they  would  make  you  laugh.  The  little  cbildren  hop 
around  as  though  they  were  rabbits.     After  we  have 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  141 

played  a  while  together  we  divide ;  the  great  ones  go 
into  one  room  by  themselves,  and  the  little  ones  into 
another.  Then  we  sit  at  little  tables,  and  sometimes 
make  block  houses,  like  what  the  teacher  makes  for  us, 
and  sometimes  we  draw,  or  make  pretty  things  from 
paper  or  willow.  I  wish  you  could  see  the  show-case 
full  of  pretty  things  which  the  children  have  made. 
The  principal  teacher  has  a  room,  where  he  teaches 
young  ladies  to  make  and  do  the  same  things  which 
we  do,  so  that  they  will  learn  to  be  teachers.  I  gen- 
erally go  home  alone  at  noon,  and  I  do  n't  go  again 
in  the  afternoon. 

I  like  to  watch  the  funny-looking  people  that  I  see 
in  the  street ;  and  it  always  makes  me  laugh  to  see 
the  way  people  have  their  wood  sawed  here  In  Gotha. 
Instead  of  having  one  man  to  saw  a  load  of  wood  and 
take  his  own  time  for  it,  a  dozen  men,  and  women,  too, 
are  hired  all  at  once  to  work  together,  and  they  work 
sawing  and  splitting  at  the  sides  of  the  streets.  Just 
think  what  a  little  time  it  must  take  to  finish  a  load 
of  wood !  And  when  they  have  finished  one  job,  they 
march  in  procession  to  another  place,  and  commence 
working  again.  One  day  last  week  mamma  and  I 
counted  over  twenty  men  in  our  garden  sawing  wood, 
and  women  were  helping  them.  A  man  takes  hold  of 
one  end  of  the  saw,  and  a  woman  the  other  end ;  and 
they  work  all  day,  only  when  they  stop  at  noon  to 
drink  their  beer  and  eat  their  bread  and  sausage. 

We  have  beautiful  places  to  walk  in  here.    I  believe 


142  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

I  have  not  told  you  aboiit  the  great  parks,  have  I  ? 
They  belong  to  the  Duke,  and  are  full  of  beautiful 
paths,  and  trees,  and  little  ponds.  On  every  path  are 
pretty  white  seats,  and  sometimes  mamma  and  I  go 
and  sit  on  one  for  two  or  three  hours ;  she  carries  a 
book,  and  I  take  my  doll  or  slate.  One  day  I  tried 
to  write  a  composition  on  my  slate,  but  it  was  rather  a 
funny  thing.  I  like  much  better  to  write  a  letter. 
These  parks  are  so  large  that  we  can  walk  for  hours  ; 
and  when  we  wish  to  go  home,  we  very  often  go 
through  the  orange  gardens.  These  are  full  of  the 
most  beautiful  flowers,  of  all  the  kinds  I  ever  saw,  and 
there  are  hundreds  of  orange  and  lemon  trees.  I  can- 
not tell  you  how  sweet  the  air  is,  nor  how  pleasant  it 
is  to  walk  through  this  -place,  or  to  sit  on  one  of  the 
white  settees  and  look  at  the  flowers.  The  German 
children  have  to  be  very  careful  not  to  touch  anything 
so  as  to  injure  it,  and  they  are  not  allowed  in  some  of 
the  parks  without  a  nurse  or  older  person  to  watch 
them. 

Yesterday  two  little  girls  came  to  play  with  me  on 
my  balcony.  They  had  never  seen  an  American  doll 
before,  although  there  are  a  great  many  china  dolls 
here.  We  had  a.  nice  play,  and  next  week  I  am  going 
to  visit  them.  They  have  a  rocking-horse,  and  a  see- 
saw, and  all  kinds  of  playthings.  I  wonder  if  you 
keep  all  your  playthings  as  nicely  as  you  used  to,  on 
that  broad  shelf  in  the  sitting  room  !  It  always  made 
me  think  of  a  little  store. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


143 


Thirty-Eighth  Letter.  . 

SCHNEPFENTHAL. 

Dear  Susie: 

You  see  I  am  not  in  Goth  a  to-day,  but  this  place  is 
only  seven  miles  away,  and  we  are  going  back  there 
again  in  a  few  days.  Perhaps  you  will  laugh  at  me, 
and  think  that  I  always  call  the  last  place  I  visit  the 
prettiest  one  of  all  I  have  seen;  but  certainly  I  do 
think  we  have  n't  seen  such  a  pretty  place  since  we 
left  America.  Schnepfenthal  is  only  a  little  village, 
but  it  is  a  charming  one,  for  it  is  on  a  hill,  and  in  the 
middle  of  all  the  houses  is  the  great  white  building 
called  the  Institute,  where  boys  attend  school.  The 
boys  all  dress  alike,  and  wear  bright  red  jackets ;  and 
when  they  are  out  of  school  and  playing  on  the  green 
grass,  you  can't  think  what  a  pretty  sight  it  is!.  It 
seems  like  a  picture.  But  the  most  beautiful  place, 
and  the  one  that  strangers  go  to  visit,  is  about  a  mile 
beyond  Schnepfenthal,  and  called  E-einhardtsbrunnen. 
It  is  where  the  Duke's  country  palace  is,  and  papa 
says  he  could  n't  have  chosen  a  more  lovely  spot.  The 
palace  itself  is  very  pretty ;  it  used  to  be  an  old  nun- 


144  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

nery,  but  the  .Duke  had  it  all  made  over  and  altered, 
only  he  had  preserved  just  enough  of  the  old  form  in 
some  parts,  to  have  us  see  what  a  strange  looking 
house  must  have  been  there.  At  one  end  is  such  a 
beautiful  chapel,  and  the  ivy  and  woodbine  twine  over 
it,  and  over  the  palace  windows,  too.  All  around  are 
the  most  lovely  gardens  and  beds  of  pretty  flowers, 
and  great  trees  and  a  succession  of  ponds.  One  is  just 
before  the  palace,  and  they  reach  on,  one  after  the  other, 
almost  to  Schnepfenthal.  On  the  ponds  are  pretty 
boats,  and  through  the  gardens  are  walks  and  fountains 
and  more  of  the  white  seats  where  people  can  rest. 
When  the  Duke  is  not  in  Reinhardsbrunnen,  people 
are  allowed  to  walk  up  to  the  very  palace  and  through 
the  court-yard  and  peep  into  the  Duke's  private  garden. 
Papa  calls  this  place  a  paradise,  and  it  does  seem  like 
one,  for  all  around  on  every  side  are  hills  and  moun- 
tains, and  covered  to  the  top  with  trees,  and  taken  such 
care  of  that  they  have  wide,  smooth  walks  across  them 
and  through  them.  The  Duke  owns  all  these  woods, 
and  he  spends  the  summer  months  in  hunting  with  his 
friends  in  them.  I  think  these  woods  reach  as  far  as 
Friedrichroda,  a  little  town  a  mile  beyond,  for  I  know 
we  walked  through  the  trees  all  the  way  there,  instead 
of  going  in  the  road.  There  is  one  hotel  near  the 
palace,  and  that  and  all  the  hotels  in  Friedrichroda  are 
full  of  strangers,  because  so  many  come  here  to  see 
these  beautiful  places. 

We  can 't  come  from  Gotha  to  this  place  in  the  cars 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  145 

without  changing  cars  and  then  walking  some,  so  we 
came  in  a  post-wagon.  But  the  time  we  came  here 
before,  about  three  weeks  ago,  (did  I  ever  tell  you 
about  that  ?)  we  rode  on  the  top  of  an  omnibus.  It 
was  such  a  funny  ride  !  but  I  enjoyed  it,  for  we  had 
a  good  chance  to  see  people  as  we  rode  along.  I 
saw  women  and  girls  digging  in  the  fields,  and  boys 
coming  from  some  village  with  a  wheel-barrow  full 
of  loaves  of  black  bread,  and  men  drinking  beer  at 
the  little  inns  we  passed,  and  more  of  such  amusing 
sights. 

We  did  n't  stay  long  that  time,  and  when  we  went 
back  to  Gotha  we  became  acquainted  with  a  lady 
who  was  in  the  omnibus  with  us;  and  we  learned 
to  love  her  so  much  after  we  went  to  our  home, 
that  we  accepted  her  invitation  to  come  here  again. 
Her  friends  live  in  Schnepfenthal,  and  teach  in  the 
Institute. 

The  way  we  became  acquainted  with  this  lady  was 
rather  strange.  It  was  in  the  evening,  and  I  was 
tired,  because  we  had  w^alked  so  much  that  day,  and 
I  wanted  to  go  to  sleep.  Mamma  kept  telling  me 
stories  to  keep  me  awake,  and  she  supposed  all  the 
people  in  the  omnibus  were  Germans  and  could  not 
understand  us.  But  bye  and  bye  this  lady  spoke  to 
me  and  said,  "  See  the  moon  ! "  and  tlien  we  knew  she 
could  speak  English.  After  that  we  met  her  very 
often  in  the  parks,  and  we  became  well  acquainted 
with  her,  and  she  is  one  of  the  best  friends  we  have 


146  HELEN    ON"    HER    TRAVELS. 

in  Goth  a.  She  came  here  with  us  this  time,  and  it  is 
her  friends  that  we  see  here,  and  whom  we  visit, 
although  we  do  not  live  at  their  house. 

I  did  mean  to  tell  you  what  a  funny  place  we  were 
living  in  here,  btit  I  must  keep  that  for  the  next  time. 
I  do  n't  say  nearly  all  I  want  to  in  any  letter. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


147 


Thikty-Ninth  Letter. 


SCHNEPFENTHAL. 
Dear  Susie: 

Every  time  I  want  to  write  this  long  word,  I  have 
to  ask  papa  to  spell  it  for  me.  He  just  told  me  that 
it  means  Snipe's  valley,  in  English ;  and  that  Eein- 
hardtshrunnen  is  Foxes'  well.  You  wouldn't  think 
from  their  names  that  they  were  such  pretty  places, 
would  you  ?  Did  n't  I  say  in  my  last  letter  I  would 
tell  you  what  kind  of  a  place  we  lived  in  here  ?  You 
would  have  to  guess  •  a  good  many  times  before  you 
guess  right.  But  first  I  want  to  tell  you  how  we 
came  from  Gotha  to  Schnepfenthal. 

Because  it  is  so  late  in  the  season  now,  (you  know 
we  have  been  in  Gotha  some  weeks,)  the  omnibuses 
do  not  run  any  longer,  and  we  had  to  go  to  the  Gotha 
post  office  and  engage  seats  in  the  post-wagon,  which 
comes  here  once  a  day.  It  was  the  funniest  kind  of 
carriage  that  I  ever  rode  in.  It  was  something  like^a 
square  box,  about  a  quarter  as  large  as  an  omnibus, 
and  set  on  high  wheels ;  on  the  top  of  it  was  a  seat 
for  the  driver  and  post-man,  and  under  it  a  smaller 


148  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

box  to  hold  the  letters.  We  stepped  into  the  wagon 
hy  a  little  door  in  the  rear,  and  found  seats  for  six 
people.  The  driver  carries  a  brass  horn,  and  when- 
ever he  goes  near  a  village  or  town  he  plays  a  tune 
upon  it ;  it  sounds  very  prettily,  we  thought.  I  was 
very  glad  when  we  were  really  here.  We  went  to  our 
friends  in  Schnepfenthal  to  see  where  they  had  secured 
rooms  for  us,  because  we  knew  all  the  hotels  were 
full. 

And  now  I'll  tell  you,  Susie;  we  live  in  a  mill! 
But  it  is  n't  anything  like  any  mill  you  ever  saw,  for 
it  looks  on  the  outside  like  a  very  nice  large  house,  all 
neat  and  painted.  In  one  part  of  it  is  a  little  mill, 
but  two -thirds  of  the  building  are  fitted  up  into 
beautiful  rooms,  which  are  let  to  strangers  in  the  sum- 
mer time.  I  said  there  was  one  house,  but  there  are 
two  very  near  together.  When  we  leave  the  street  we 
go  through  a  great  yard, —  where  I  alw^ays  see  some 
hens  and  a  black  dog,  and  sometimes  the  mill  door  is 
open  and  I  see  bags  of  meal, —  and  then  into  the  part 
of  the  house  where  we  live.  Our  rooms  are  up  stairs, 
and  so  pleasant !  The  sitting  room  is  as  neat  as  wax, 
and  from  the  windows  we  can  look  one  way^  and  see 
Schnepfenthal,  and  the  other  way  is  Eeinhardtsbrun- 
nen ;  for  we  are  about  half  way  between  them,  and 
our  house  is  in  the  middle  of  green  fields.  But  the 
place  is  called  the  Mill. 

There  are  two  girls  that  are  daughters  of  one  of 
our  dear,  good  Schnepfenthal  friends,  that  I  like  very 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  149 

much ;  and  though  they  are  both  older  than  I  am,  we 
have  nice  plays  together.  Eliza,  the  oldest  one,  can 
speak  English  pretty  well,  but  Lenchen  only  talks  in 
German  or  French,  and  so  we  do  n't  say  much  to  each 
other.  Sunday  morning  they  came  to  our  house  with 
their  aunt,  and  wanted  us  to  go  to  church  with  them. 
It  was  such  a  pretty  little  church :  in  the  same  build- 
ing where  the  Institute  is.  There  was  a  little  gallery, 
where  the  ladies  and  strangers  sat,  and  below  were 
the  teachers  and  the  scholars.  The  boys  wore  those 
jackets  I  wrote  about,  and  sat  very  still  till  the  service 
was  over ;  but  when  they  were  once  out  on  the  green 
they  made  noise  enough. 

Besides  the  church,  there  are  school-rooms,  and  great 
halls  full  of  curiosities,  and  stuffed  birds  and  animals, 
and  a  large  public  parlor  and  dining  room,  and  the 
rooms  where  the  Principal's  family  live,  and  many 
rooms  of  course  for  the  boys  to  study  and  sleep  in,  all 
in  one  building.  The  parlor  was  very  pretty,  for  it 
was  full  of  beautiful  presents,  which  former  pupils  had 
sent  to  their  teachers ;  and  the  four  sides  of  the  room 
were  really  covered  with  little  portraits  of  the  boys. 
The  dining  room  was  very  pleasant,  too,  and  every- 
thing was  in  perfect  order. 

You  know,  Susie,  that  the  Germans  do  not  keep 
Sunday  as  we  do,  and  they  think  it  right  to  work  and 
play  if  they  wish  to.  The  boys  on  the  common  were 
having  games  when  we  went  out,  and  the  ladies  of  the 
family  that  we  took  dinner  with  had  their  sewing  and 


150  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

knitting  in  their  hands.  Eliza's  father  lent  me  a  book 
in  English  to  read ;  hut  I  am  afraid  that  I  shall  have 
no  time  to  read  it,  for  to-morrow,  if  it  is  pleasant,  we 
are  all  going  to  the  top  of  a  high  mountain,  called  the 
Spiesherg. 

I  like  the  German  people  very  much.  There  are  a 
great  many  things  I  see  that  seem  so  funn}^  I  want 
to  laugh ;  but  yet  some  of  the  people  we  meet  are  so 
very  kind  and  good,  I  cannot  help  loving  them.  I 
hope  some  time  you  will  come  to  Schnepfenthal  and 
see  this  dear  good  family  we  love  so  much.  The  sister 
that  I  told  you  lives  in  Gotha,  came  here  with  us  in 
the  post-wagon.  Every  day  when  w^e  are  in  Gotha 
we  walk  in  the  park  with  her,  and  she  speaks  English 
with  us,  and  we  speak  German  with  her. 

It  is  pretty  late  now.  Mamma  says  I  must  go  to 
bed  early  to-night,  because  we  shall  walk  so  much  to- 
morrow.    So  good  night,  my  dear  cousin  Susie ! 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  151 


FoBTiETH  Letter. 

SCHNEPFENTHAL. 
My  dear  Susie  : 

I  shall  have  to  write  very  fast  this  morning,  because 
we  are  going  hack  to  Gotha  as  soon  as  the  post-wagon 
comes  past.  I  am  very  much  disappointed  that  we 
cannot  stay  here  longer ;  hut  the  pleasant  warm 
weather  seems  to  have  gone,  for  to-day  it  is  cold 
and  very  rainy.  We  could  not  go  out  to  walk  if  we 
stayed. 

We  had  such  a  nice  time  yesterday  !  A  party  of 
us  started  at  nine  o'clock  for  a  long  walk,  the  longest 
I  ever  took.  We  all  wore  thick  hoots  and  warm 
travelling  dresses,  (I  always  wear  my  Scotch  wincey 
when  we  go  on  such  an  excursion,)  and  a  servant  girl 
went  with  us  to  help  carry  the  thick  shawls,  and  she 
had  a  great  basket  strapped  on  her  back  full  of  bread 
and  meat  and  dishes,  and  things  we  might  want.  It 
was  a  lovely  morning  to  start,  for  the  sun  was  shining 
so  brightly  that  the  whole  country  looked  most  beau- 
tiful. We  went  on  through  woods  and  green  fields, 
and  up  little  hills,  but  all  the  way  was  a  good  path. 


152  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

Sometimes  we  would  meet  peasant  men  or  women, 
bare-footed,  and  having  great  loads  on  their  backs  ; 
and  they  would  always  salute  us  and  say,  "Guten 
Tag,"  which  means  "good  day"  in  English. 

Lenchen  and  I  trudged  on  in  front  of  the  rest,  and 
picked  pretty  grasses,  or  played  with  our  stout  canes 
that  papa  cut  for  us  off  the  trees ;  but  we  hardly  spoke 
a  word  together  all  the  way,  for  I  was  afraid  to  speak 
much  Grerman,  and  she  was  too  sh}^  to  say  anything. 
Mamma  thought  she  looked  very  much  like  you,  Susie, 
she  said  so  a  number  of  times.  We  kept' on  and  on, 
till  at  last  I  was  so  tired  I  had  to  sit  down  on  a  stone 
and  so  one  of  the  ladies  said,  that  as  we  were  two- 
thirds  of  the  way  up,  we  would  all  rest  and  have 
something  to  eat.  So  papa  chose  a  nice  place  under 
the  trees,  and  spread  the  shawls,  and  we  all  sat  down 
on  the  ground.  The  servant  girl  took  off  her  basket, 
—  I  pitied  her,  she  looked  so  tired, —  and  the  plates 
were  passed  around,  and  one  of  the  ladies  cut  the  meat 
and  spread  the  bread  and  butter.  It  seemed  as  though 
nothing  ever  tasted  so  good  as  that  did.  While  we 
were  sitting  there  we  could  hear  the  deer  cr3ang  in 
the  woods  around  us,  and  once  we  saw  one.  Mamma 
says  I  mustn't  say  they  cried,  but  bellowed.  The 
woods  here  in  Germany  look  differently  from  ours  in 
America,  because  the  trees  are  standing  in  regular 
rows.  Papa  told  me  why  they  looked  so.  Every 
thirty  years  the  old  forests  are  cut  down,  and  new 
ones  are  planted,  and  the  little  trees  are  set  in  rows. 


HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  153 

SO  that  wlieii  they  are  grown  large  they  looked  as  I 
saw  them. 

After  we  rested  awhile  we  went  a  little  further,  and 
then  came  out  on  the  top  of  a  mountain  not  as  high 
as  the  Spiesherg,  but  yet  we  had  a  beautiful  prospect 
all  around  us.  We  were  surrounded  by  hills,  and  be- 
tween them  in  the  valleys  were  villages  with  red- 
roofed  houses ;  and  close  by  us  was  a  strange  looking 
house  where  the  Duke  rested  with  his  friends  when 
he  w^as  hunting.  As  we  went  through  the  woods  we 
saw  a  party  of  G-erman  men  chopping  wood,  and  they 
spoke  such  funny  German  I  could  n't  understand  any- 
thing they  said.  Lenchen  and  I  saw  the  top  of  the 
Spiesberg  first.  There  is  a  little  house  there  for  peo- 
ple to  rest  in,  and  people  live  in  it  and  provide  coffee 
or  beer  for  anybody  who  wishes  it.  Our  party  went 
up  stairs  into  a  little  i;oom  and  stayed  several  hours. 
Some  of  the  ladies  had  their  knitting  work,  and  some 
talked,  and  Eliza  and  Lenchen  played  with  me  until  I 
fell  asleep.  When  I  woke,  some  more  friends  had 
come,  and  then  we  had  such  a  nice  dinner.  We  had 
cold  meat,  and  brown  bread  and  white  bread,  and  but- 
ter and  cheese,  and  coffee  and  beer,  and  pears  and 
plums,  and  some  grapes  that  had  come  all  the  way 
from  Switzerland.  Oh,  they  were  so  delicious  that 
the}^  seemed  to  melt  in  my  mouth  !  We  were  very 
much  disappointed  in  one  thing,  for  very  soon  after  we 
reached  the  top,  all  the  clear  sky  was  covered  with 
clouds,  and  we  couldn't  see  much  but  mist.     I  had 


154  HELEiST    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 

rather  a  bad  fall  when  we  went  down.  It  was  not 
the  same  way  we  went  up.  I  suppose  I  ran  too  fast ; 
for  down  I  went  on  my  knees,  and  then  I  had  to  limp 
all  the  way  home;  and  this  morning  I  am  a  little 
lame. 

Do  n't  you  think  we  had  a  nice  time  ?  When  we 
left  Boston  I  could  not  walk  one  quarter  as  far  as  I 
can  now,  without  being  all  tired  out.  I  suppose  now 
it  is  time  for  me  to  put  on  my  hat  and  sacque,  and  be 
ready  to  go. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  155 


FoRTY-FiBsx  Letter. 

GOTHA. 
Dear  Susie: 

I  do  n't  know  how  many  letters  I  have  written  to 
you  from  Gotha,  but  I  want  to  send  one  more  before 
we  leave  this  nice  pleasant  home  of  ours.  But  I  am 
not  writing  to-day  on  the  balcony,  for  it  is  too  cold. 
The  glass  door  is  shut,  and  we  have  a  fire  in  our  por- 
celain stove,  and  my  table  is  moved  up  near  it. 

Yesterday  I  went  with  our  servant  girl  to  the  mar- 
ket, and  she  brought  home  a  basket  of  wood  on  her 
back.  She  wears  a  funny  kind  of  cape  or  cloak  when 
'  she  goes  out,  made  of  brown  calico,  and  it  is  trimmed 
with  two  broad  full  rufiles,  and  she  never  has  a  bonnet 
on  her  head.  She  is  so  kind  to  me  that  I  am  very 
sorry  to  leave  her,  and  she  wants  to  go  to  America 
with  us.  She  is  very  honest,  too,  and  G-erman  servants 
are  not  always  so.  The  ladies  who  keep  house  always 
carry  a  bunch  of  keys  around  with  them,  and  keep 
everything  locked  up, — even  sugar,  and  butter,  and 
such  things.  Mamma  says,  perhaps  if  servants  were 
more  trusted  they  would  n't  be  so  sly  and  dishonest. 


156  HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS. 

We  have  sucli  a  dear  good  landlady  !  We  had  often 
heard  that  German  landladies  would  take  advantage 
of  people,  and  sometimes  cheat  them ;  but  this  one  of 
ours  is  as  kind  as  she  can  he.  She  does  n't  work  any 
herself,  hut  is  able  to  totter  around  on  her  cane,  and 
see  if  things  are  in  order.  Every  day  when  I  go 
to  the  hotel  to  dinner,  or  while  I  am  in  the  Kinder- 
garten, she  comes  into  our  room  and  leaves  some  fruit 
or  cake  on  the  table ;  and  sometimes  she  allows  me  to 
water  her  j)lants  on  the  balcony.  After  tea  she  likes 
to  have  me  go  into  her  room  and  sing  some  little  Eng- 
lish song  ;  and  I  try  to  help  her  down  the  stairs 
when  she  goes  to  church  on  Sundays.  She  has  a  little 
carriage  which  she  is  pushed  along  in.  We  do  n't  go 
very  often  to  the  church  which  she  attends. 

And  that  makes  me  think,  Susie,  I  want  to  tell  you 
about  one  old,  strange-looking  church  here  in  Gotha. 
When  we  went  there  first,  and  walked  through  a 
grave-yard  towards  it,  I  could  hardly  believe  but  it 
was  a  great  house.  But  the  inside  is  the  strangest. 
It  is  not  painted  at  all,  and  the  seats  are  of  plain 
boards,  without  any  cushions,  or  else  they  are  old- 
fashioned  chairs  of  different  kinds.  The  pulpit  is 
small  and  high,  and  has  a  table  before  it,  with  a  cross 
and  two  candles  upon  it.  There  are  no  blinds  nor 
curtains  to  the  windows,  and  a  gallery  runs  around, 
where  young  people  sit.  In  one  part  are  the  soldiers, 
too,  and  just  opposite  the  pulpit  is  the  band  of  singers, 
who  sing  and  play  on  brass  instruments  when  the 


HELEN    OX    HER    TRAVELS.  157 

hymns  are  given  out.  But  though  this  old  church 
looks  so  differently  from  all  the  others  here  in  Grotha — 
because  they  have  splendid  paintings  and  rich  carv- 
ing— yet  there  is  something  else  which  I  have  n't  yet 
told  you,  which  interested  us  the  most  of  anything. 
All  around  on  the  front  of  the  gallery  are  hung 
wreaths  of  dried  or  artificial  flowers  tied  with  rib- 
bons ;  and  between  them  are  portraits  of  children, 
though  I  think  there  are  two  or  three  of  older  people. 
These  wreaths  used  to  be  laid  on  the  coffins  of  those 
who  had  died,  and  after  they  were  buried,  their  friends 
brought  the  wreaths  into  this  old  church,  and  hung 
them  up.  Sometimes  they  are  in  frames,  and  some 
are  laid  in  glass  boxes.  The  portraits  are  of  little 
children  who  have  died,  and  their  friends  can't  forget 
them,  because  every  time  they  go  to  meeting  they  see 
those  pictures. 

There  are  two  or  three  cemeteries  beyond  the  one 
where  the  church  is,  and  we  sometimes  walk  through 
them.  All  the  grave  stones  are  in  the  form  of  crosses, 
and  on  nearly  all  the  graves  there  are  wreaths  lying. 
We  saw  the  ivy  growing  all  over  Mr.  Perthes'  grave. 
Did  you  ever  hear  about  Mr.  Frederick  Perthes  ?  He 
was  a  very  good  German  man,  and  had  an  excellent 
wife,  and  a  book  has  been  written  about  them  in  Ger- 
man and  English.  Their  sons  and  daughters  live  in 
Gotha,  and  papa  goes  to  their  houses. 

Papa  and  mamma  go  often  to  a  great  many  places 
where  I  can't  go,  and  I  can't  tell  you  about  them,  be- 


158  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

cause  I  don't  see  for  myself.  There  have  been  some 
very  nice  concerts  which  I  have  not  heard,  and  there 
has  been  a  great  fair  or  something  of  that  kind,  which 
I  have  not  seen.  I  did  n't  want  to  go,  for  I  was  afraid 
of  the  noise  of  the  guns.  Mamma  went,  and  she  saw 
all  kinds  of  playthings,  and  all  kinds  of  cakes,  and  all 
kinds  of  people,  I  should  think,  from  what  she  said. 

Yesterday  I  saw  Prince  Alfred  at  the  palace  here. 
He  is  Queen  Victoria's  son,  and  is  going  to  be  the 
next  Duke  here.  He  was  standing  at  his  chamber 
window,  and  I  wanted  to  sing  "  God  save  the  Queen," 
but  I  djd  n't  know  the  words.  Ha  looks  like  a  nice 
young  man. 

Perhaps  this  will  be  my  last  letter  from  Goth  a. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


159 


Forty-Second  Letter. 

EKFUPwT. 
Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

Last  night  I  was  in  my  little  bed  in  Gotlia,  and  to- 
night we  are  in  a  great  hotel.  The  reason  I  write  so 
soon  again  is,  because  I  am  afraid  I  shall  forget  some 
of  the  things  I  want  to  say,  if  I  do  n't  tell  them  now. 

I  entirely  forgot  to  write  anything  about  the  old 
palace  in  Gotha,  and  now  it  is  too  late.  I  can  just 
tell  you  something  about  the  size  of  it,  or  rather  what 
is  in  it,  and  then  you  can  judge  what  a  great  building 
it  must  be.  Besides  the  great  church  which  is  in  one 
corner  of  it,  there  are  great  libraries,  and  halls  full  of 
collections  of  coins,  and  of  animals  and  birds,  and  gal- 
leries of  paintings  and  statues,  and  apartments  where 
princes'  families  live,  and  offices,  and  splendid  halls 
fitted  up  for  the  Duke  to  live  in  if  he  wishes  to,  and 
rooms  without  number  for  his  servants.  Wouldn't 
you  think  it  must  be  large  ? 

Papa  says  if  we  should  ever  visit  Gotha  again,  he 
thinks  we  should  not  see  our  dear  good  landlady,  for 
she  is  so  A^ery  old  and  feeble  now.      Whenever  we 


160  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

spoke  to  her  we  called  her  Mrs-Councilloress  Henni- 
berg,  because  her  husband  used  to  be  a  councillor,  and 
she  is  always  addressed  by  his  title.  That  is  always 
the  case  here  in  Germany,  I  am  told. 

We  are  in  a  great  hotel,  just  opposite  the  depot ; 
and  are  in  a  great  room,  too.  We  are  all  sitting 
around  a  great  table  in  one  corner,  and  mamma  and  I 
are  are  on  the  sofa  beside  it,  and  papa  in  a  great  chair. 
Just  before  we  began  to  write,  (for  we  are  all  writing,) 
a  servant  brought  us  sop^ie  tea,  and  some  gingerbread 
to  eat  with  it.  We  had  a  pretty  silver  teapot  (it 
looked  like  silver)  and  a  little  strainer  to  pour  the  tea 
through.  The  tea  was  weak  enough,  but  I  liked  that, 
because  I  could  have  a  little.  Here  in  Germany  the 
children  drink  sugar- water;  that  is,  a  glass  of  water 
Avith  sugar  dissolved  in  it. 

We  have  been  walking  about  ever  since  we  came 
here.  I  should  n't  like  to  live  in  Erfurt,  for  it  seems 
to  be  such  a  very  old  city.  There  are  walls  and  forti- 
fications around  it,  and  the  streets  are  very  narrow, 
and  really  no  sidewalks  at  all ;  or  if  any,  they  are  just 
wide  enough  for  me  alone.  We  w^ent  into  a  store  and 
bought  some  pretty  pictures  as  we  walked  along,  and 
then  we  went  to  Luther's  cell.  You  know  Martin 
Luther  was  a  monk,  once,  and  he  used  to  live  and 
study  in  a  convent  at  Erfurt.  It  is  n't  a  convent  any 
longer,  but  is  now  a  school  for  orphans ;  but  the  cell 
of  Martin  Luther  has  been  preserved  just  as  it  used 
to  be  when  he  was  in  it.     As  we  went  through  the 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAYELS.  161 

yard  we  saw  a  great  many  orphan  boys  gazing  at  us, 
and  a  woman  came  up  to  us  to  show  us  the  way.  We 
went  up  a  flight  of  stairs  into  an  old  building  and 
through  a  very  long  hall.  You  would  never  forget 
that  long  hall,  Susie,  if  you  should  once  see  it ;  for  on 
both  sides  it  is  covered  with  great  pictures,  called  the 
Dance  of  Death,  papa  told  me.  Every  picture  was  in 
a  frame,  and  was  different  from  the  one  next  to  it ; 
but  in  every  one  was  the  figure  of  Death  appearing 
like  a  horrible  skeleton,  and  just  ready  to  seize  the 
people  in  the  painting.  None  of  the  people  seemed 
to  know  that  Death  was  so  near  them,  for  some  were 
reading,  or  writing,  or  laughing,  or  dancing,  or  dress- 
ing for  parties ;  and  yet  he  was  just  behind  them. 
There  were  pictures  of  children,  too,  and  dear  little 
babies  who  were  playing  so  happily ;  but  he  was  com- 
ing up  to  take  them  away  from  their  mothers  who 
were  bending  over  them,  but  who  could  n't  see  him. 
There  were  men  and  women  of  all  ages,  and  doing  all 
kinds  of  work,  but  that  terrible  skeleton  was  always 
near  them. 

When  w^e  went  into  the  cell,  the  door  was  so  low 
that  papa  had  to  stoop.  It  was  a  little  room,  with  one 
small  window^  in  it ;  and  Luther's  chair,  and  his  table, 
and  his  inkstand.  In  a  glass  case  were  some  old  books, 
but  they  were  not  his.  A  great  portrait  of  him  hung 
against  the  wall,  and  he  looked  like  a  large  stout  man. 
I  have  heard  much  more  about  Luther  since  we  came 
to  Germany  than  I  ever  knew  before,  and  I  was  very 


162  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

glad  to  see  things  of  his,  though  I  do  n't  think  I  cared 
as  much  about  it  as  papa  and  mamma  did. 

There  is  a  great  cathedral  in  Erfurt,  and  we  went 
to  see  it.  It  is  very  beautiful  in  the  inside.  The 
windows  are  of  stained  glass,  and  there  are  fine  paint- 
ings, and  some  of  the  nicest  wood  carving  we  have 
seen.  There  was  some  tapestry,  too,  hanging  against 
the  wall,  hundreds  of  years  old.  When  we  went  out, 
papa  had  no  small  pieces  of  money  in  his  pocket,  and 
he  had  to  give  our  guide  twice  the  usual  fee ;  but  she 
did  not  even  say  "Thank  3^ou."  If  w^e  had  waited 
till  to-morrow  morning  we  could  have  seen  it  in  ser- 
vice time  and  paid  nothing,  for  the  Roman  Catholics 
have  a  service  every  morning. 

I  am  so  tired  I  must  go  to  bed  now.  My  great 
feather  bed  in  the  corner  is  waiting  for  me. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  163 


Fokty-Thikd  Letter. 

LEIPZIG. 
Dear  Susie: 

You  will  get  letters  prett}^  often  from  me,  until  we 
get  to  Berlin,  for,  as  I  wrote  to  you  day  before  yester- 
day in  my  Erfurt  letter,  if  I  do  n't  say  at  once  what 
I  have  in  my  thoughts,  I  shall  forget  some  of  it.  I 
cannot  tell  you  much  about  anything  in  this  city,  ex- 
cepting about  the  great  fair.  Every  fall  there  are 
great  sales  here  of  all  kinds  of  things,  and  people 
come  from  great  distances  to  see  and  buy.  The  hotels 
and  even  all  the  lodging  houses  are  full  of  strangers, 
and  papa  had  no  easy  time  to  find  us  nice  rooms. 
The  streets  are  crowded  with  people.  It  makes  me 
think  of  London  every  time  I  go  out ;  for  I  am  pushed 
off  the  sidewalk  into  the  street,  and  then  back  again. 
The  shop  windows  are  full  of  the  most  beautiful  things, 
and  we  have  been  so  many  weeks  in  that  little  quiet 
Gotha,  tliat  I  am  really  glad  to  see  so  many  pretty 
things  again. 

I  cannot  give  you  any  idea  w^hat  crowds  of  people 
there  are  here,  nor  how  full  the  streets  are  of  booths. 
These  booths  are  made  like  little  houses  with  one  side 


164  HELEX    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

open,  and  a  counter  or  broad  shelf  built  up,  covered 
with  things  to  sell.  You  can  hardly  think  of  any 
kind  of  a  thing*  that  anybody  could  want,  that  is  n't 
to  be  found  in  plain  sight.  Some  booths  are  full  of 
cakes  and  gingerbread,  and  when  anybody  passes,  the 
woman  who  is  behind  the  shelf  calls  out,  '•  Buy  !  buy  ! 
buy  ! "  Perhaps  the  next  person  will  have  china  and 
glass  ware  to  sell,  and  so  on.  There  is  everything. 
Boots,  and  stockings,  and  collars,  and  dolls,  and  everj" 
kind  of  plaything,  and  fruit,  and  table  linen,  and  iron, 
and,  oh,  Susie,  I  get  tired  even  thinking  of  all  I  saw ! 
Some  of  the  things  are  very  cheap,  and  I  bought  a 
little  box  and  vase,  and  some  more  little  things,  for 
only  one  groschen  apiece.  Papa  was  standing  at  one 
table  where  there  were  photographs,  and  when  he  paid 
for  those  he  bought,  he  probably  drew  out  a  package 
of  money  from  his  pocket,  and  it  fell  on  the  ground ; 
for  after  a  while  he  found  it  was  gone.  We  went  back 
to  the  same  place,  but  somebody  must  have  taken  it, 
because  papa  never  found  it.  I  was  very  sorry,  be- 
cause he  was  going  to  buy  some  pretty  things  in  Leip- 
zig, and  now  he  can 't.     Is  n't  it  too  bad  ? 

Leipzig  is  much  larger  now  than  it  was  some  time 
ago,  papa  tells  me.  Around  the  old  city  used  to  be  a 
wall,  but  now  it  is  taken  down,  and  where  it  used  to 
be  is  a  broad,  beautiful  walk,  called  the  Promenade. 
Mamma  and  I  walked  around  it  yesterday  afternoon ; 
we  Avere  sure  we  could  not  be  lost,  for  as  it  is  a  circle 
we  knew  we  should  come  back  to  the  place  we  started 


HELEX    OX    HER    TRAVELS.  165 

from.  There  are  nice  seats  for  people  to  rest,  and 
rows  of  trees  the  whole  way ;  and  then  on  one  side  of 
us  was  the  old  city,  with  the  liouses  built  very  closely 
together,  and  on  the  other  side  were  prett}^  streets  and 
handsome  houses  and  fine  gardens.  As  mamma  and 
I  walked  along,  we  would  meet  little  children  and 
their  nurses ;  and  women  selling  apples  or  pears  ;  and 
the  city  people  idling  along.  Once  we  saw  a  whole 
orphan  school  going  by  in  j)rocession.  Sometimes  we 
would  pass  a  large  square,  where  there  were  tents 
Tvith  shows,  and  booths  full  of  toys,  and  swings  for 
children.  There  was  one  nice  contrivance  for  boys 
and  girls  that  I  never  saw  before.  I  wish  I  could 
describe  it  so  you  could  understand  what  it  was.  It 
was  something  like  a  great  wheel,  I  should  think,  not 
standing,  but  as  though  it  w^as  flat,  only  raised  a  few 
feet  from  the  ground.  The  hub  was  a  high  pole,  and 
at  the  end  of  each  spoke  was  a  little  kind  of  carriage, 
with  sometimes  a  seat  for  two  and  sometimes  for  four 
children,  and  there  were  imitation  horses  attached  to 
it.  After  the  girls  and  boys  had  taken  their  seats  in 
the  different  carriages,  the  machine  which  made  them 
turn  would  begin  to  move,  and  the  band  of  music 
would  play,  and  then  the  children  would  go  round  and 
round,  and  faster  and  faster.  Mamma  thought  I 
should  be  dizzy,  so  I  did  n't  have  any  ride. 

It  seems  as  though  I  had  n't  written  much  in  this 
letter,  but  a  gentleman  has  just  come  in,  and  I  can 't 
write  when  people  are  talking. 


166  HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS. 


FORTY-FOUKTH  LETTEK. 

D  R  E  S  D  E  IS" . 
Deak  Stjsie: 

We  came  here  yesterday,  and  liad  a  most  delightful 
ride.  The  weather  was  so  warm  that  we  had  the  car 
windows  open  all  the  way,  and  the  country  w^as  so 
pretty  that  it  was  a  pleasure  for  all  of  us  to  look  at  it. 
There  were  a  great  many  peasant  women  and  children 
working  in  the  fields,  and  sometimes  it  seemed  as 
though  they  were  their  homes ;  for  there  was  often  no 
house  to  be  seen,  and  the  whole  family  would  he  to- 
gether. The  baby  was  in  such  a  funny  kind  of  cradle, 
and  one  of  the  larger  children  was  making  a  fire  under 
a  black  iron  pot  to  cook  the  dinner ;  and  one  family 
we  saw  were  resting  from  work  and  were  sitting  on 
the  ground,  eating  a  lunch. 

About  an  hour  before  we  came  in  sight  of  Dresden, 
we  saw  beautiful  hills  and  vineyards.  It  seemed  really 
as  though  on  the  left  side  of  us,  there  was  a  succession 
of  hills ;  and  on  the  top  of  each  one  was  a  splendid 
house,  and  at  the  bottom  was  a  little  village. 

I  suppose  I  shall  not  write  3^ou  the  same  things 


HELEX    ON    HEK    TKAVELS.^  167 

about  Dresden  that  gentlemen  and  ladies  write,  for  a 
great  many  places  that  papa  and  mamma  visit,  I  do 
not  see.  This  morning  we  started  to  visit  the  Picture 
Gallery,  (do  you  know  this  is  called  almost  the  finest 
gallery  in  the  world?)  but  papa  found  it  was  being 
cleaned,  and  was  only  open  to  visitors  for  a  few  hours, 
and  he  must  pay  quite  a  fee ;  so,  as  he  thought  I 
should  not  enjoy  it  very  much,  and  I  had  seen  so  many 
large  galleries  in  London,  he  left  me  at  a  nice  place, 
where  he  was  going  to  get  our  dinner.  Our  hotel 
was  too  far  away  for  me  to  go  back  to  it,  and  papa 
found  this  nice  eating  house,  where  I  had  a  sofa  and 
table  all  to  myself,  and  a  large  black  dog  to  play  with. 

After  we  had  taken  dinner,  (I  had  some  pudding 
that  tasted  like  an  American  pudding,)  we  walked 
around  to  see  the  splendid  churches,  and  the  old  pal- 
ace, and  the  great  theatre,  and  the  markets  and  streets. 
The  shop  windows  are  full  of  pictures,  and  of  other 
pretty  things,  also.  I  do  n't  see  so  many  book-stores 
here  as  I  did  in  Leipzig,  for  it  seemed  there  as  though 
every  other  shop  was  a  book-seller's.  The  people  in 
Leipzig  must  be  great  readers,  I  should  think. 

When  we  were  walking  through  one  of  the  market 
places  this  afternoon,  we  saw,  besides  the  pears  and 
apples  and  grapes, —  oh,  such  delicious  grapes  they 
were,  too!  —  some  ripe  tomatoes.  We  hadn't  seen 
any  before  this  summer,  and  I  was  j^erfectly  delighted 
and  I  think  papa  was  as  much  so  as  I  was.  You 
know  we  eat  them  raw  in  America  if  we  wish  to ;  and 


168  ^HELE^f    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

papa  likes  them  so  ver}''  much,  but  the  Grermans  never 
heard  of  such  a  thing,  and  only  use  them  cooked  in 
soups.  Papa  knew  this  and  he  thought  we  would  give 
the  woman  Avho  sold  them,  a  surprise ;  so  he  asked  her 
what  those  red  things  were  as  though  he  had  never 
seen  them  before,  and  put  one  to  his  mouth  as  if  he 
would  taste  it.  "  Oh  my  noble  sir,  they  are  not  made 
to  eat  so  !  do  not  taste  it,  noble  sir,  before  it  is  cook- 
ed !"  But  papa  only  smiled,  and  gave  one  to  me  and 
one  to  mamma,  and  we  all  ate  them  as  though  they 
were  oranges.  The  old  lady  raised  both  hands  and 
shouted —  "  shocking !  horrible !"  and  called  her  friends 
to  come  and  see  such  a  wonderful  sight,  so  that  we  had 
quite  a  group  of  market-women  around  us.  Then  23apa 
told  them  we  lived  in  a  country  where  tomatoes  grew, 
and  that  we  enjoyed  them  in  any  way,  either  raw  or 
cooked.  This  is  n't  exactly  telling  you  about  Dresden, 
but  perhaps  you  w^ill  like  to  hear  sometimes  about 
something  beside  the  houses  and  the  people. 

We  are  going  to  Saxon  Switzerland,  to-morrow,  if 
it  is  pleasant ;  and  then  I  shall  have  to  walk  a  long 
way  after  we  leave  the  cars. 

Papa  wants  mamma  to  go  to  a  concert,  so  I  must 
go  to  bed.  Perhaps  I  shall  dream  you  and  I  are  eat- 
ing tomatoes  together ! 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  169 


FoKTY-PiFTH  Letter. 

DRESDEN". 
Dear  Susie: 

Yesterday  morning  I  bad  to  get  up  very  early,  and 
eat  an  earlier  breakfast  tban  usual  for  we  were  going  in 
tbe  early  train  to  tbe  Saxon  Switzerland,  and  it  start- 
ed about  the  time  that  we  usually  take  breakfast.  We 
were  afraid  it  was  going  to  be  a  rainy  day,  but  the 
hotel  people  said  the  sun  would  come  out  and  we 
should  have  a  fine  prospect.  As  we  were  going  to  the 
station  we  all  thought  that  the  part  of  Dresden  near 
it,  looked  like  Edinburgh,  for  the  streets  were  broad 
and  the  blocks  of  houses  very  fine. 

We  had  a  nice  ride,  and  it  was  just  long  enough  to 
be  pleasant,  but  not  so  long  as  to  make  me  tired. 
There  was  one  German  man  in  the  carriage  with  us 
who  didn't  know  what  language  we  were  speaking, 
and  he  wanted  to  know  what  country  we  lived  in. 
When  papa  told  him  we  were  Americans,  he  had  a 
great  deal  to  say  about  America,  and  a  number  of 
fanny  questions  to  ask ;  he  seemed  to  think  that  the 
country  must  be  small  enough  for  us  to  know  anybody 


170  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

who  lived  there,  and  lie  really  looked  disappointed 
because  papa  could  not  tell  him  about  some  of  his 
neighbors  who  had  gone  there. 

We  left  the  train  at  a  little  station  close  to  the  river 
Elbe,  (that  is  the  river  that  Dresden  is  on,)  and  then 
crossed  over  to  the  opposite  side  in  a  boat.  There 
were  several  people  besides  us,  but  we  supposed  they 
spoke  only  German,  and  it  sounded  very  pleasant  when 
a  gentleman  offered  mamma  a  seat  and  spoke  in  Eng- 
lish. The  German  here  in  Dresden  is  said  to  be  a 
little  different  from  other  parts  of  Germany;  the  people 
sing  their  words,  but  we  have  not  noticed  it.  When 
we  left  the  boat  we  walked  first  through  a  village 
where  boys  crowded  around  us,  begging  to  be  our 
guides ;  and  though  papa  told  them  he  had  been  there 
before  and  knew  the  way,  one  little  fellow  followed  us 
until  papa  had  to  give  him  a  piece  of  money,  and  then 
he  went  back  to  wait  for  somebody  else.  Papa  gave 
him  some  advice  in  English,  just  for  sport,  but  I  am 
afraid  it  would  n't  do  him  much  good. 

So  we  went  on  and  on ;  papa  cut  a  stout  walking- 
stick  for  me,  and  we  walked  on  mile  after  mile.  The 
sun  was  shining,  but  we  were  more  and  more  shut  in 
by  great  rocks  all  around  us,  and  some  of  them  were 
immensely  high,  and  looked  as  though  they  would  fall 
upon  our  very  heads.  Trees  grew  on  some  of  them  to 
the  very  top.  Our  little  path  kept  leading  us  on,  and 
we  came  to  some  guide-boards ;  one  pointed  the  way 
directly  to  the  Bastei,  and  the  other  kept  on  in  the 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  171 

valley  to  some  strange  places  in  the  rocks.  We  took 
this  one  first,  and  after  a  while  we  came  to  a  great  cave 
made  hy  immense  rocks  resting  on  each  other,  and 
afterwards  to  a  narrow  passage  under  rocks.  Great 
rocks  had  fallen  and  lodged  on  others,  and  we  crept 
under  them,  but  I  didn't  like  it  much.  We  found  a 
little  house  in  the  woods,  where  a  man  and  woman 
lived.  He  Avas  chopping  wood,  and  she  was  washing 
clothes.  In  front  of  the  little  hut  was  a  table  covered 
with  things  to  sell,  such  as  photographs  of  the  Bastei 
and  little  pictures  made  in  the  form  of  roses  (I  had 
one  of  those),  and  glass  vases,  and  little  wooden  boxes 
full  of  moss.  Mamma  allowed  me  to  buy  one  of  these 
boxes,  and  we  filled  it  with  heather  which  we  picked 
on  the  sides  of  the  road.  Because  after  we  got  back 
to  the  guide-boards  again,  we  took  the  way  to  the 
Bastei,  and  the  path  changed  into,  a  road. 

I  was  very  tired  before  we  reached  the  top,  and  yet 
we  rested  two  or  three  times ;  but  we  were  going  up 
hill  all  the  way,  and  it  was  hard.  When  we  were 
almost  at  the  top  we  saw  a  very  high  tower,  and  I 
wanted  to  go  to  the  top  of  it ;  but  papa  said  we  should 
be  tired  enough  without  it.  Very  soon  after  there  were 
some  buildings  where  people  lived,  and  in  one  was 
beer  and  refreshment  for  strangers.  We  were  glad 
enough  to  get  something  to  eat,  for  it  was  noon,  and 
papa  called  for  cold  meat  and  white  bread  and  butter. 
They  brought  us  some  nice  cold  venison,  but  had 
nothing  but  the  black  bread ;  for,  as  it  had  looked  like 


172  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

a  rainy  day,  they  had  not  sent  down  into  the  valley 
for  any  white  bread.  But  we  were  so  hungry  w^e 
enjoyed  anything. 

Oh,  Susie,  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  what  we  saw  when 
we  went  out  on  the  very  edge  of  the  Bastei !  It  seemed 
as  though  there  was  a  great  ocean  of  rocks  all  around 
us,  and  they  were  so  high  they  seemed  like  the  great 
cathedrals  I  had  seen.  Sometimes  great  trees  were 
growing  on  them.  Just  below  us,  but  still  six  hundred 
feet  below,  was  the  river,  and  the  little  "sdllages,  and  a 
good  way  off  was  what  jDapa  said  was  one  of  the 
strongest  fortresses  in  Europe;  just  think,  made  of 
these  great  rocks.  It  was  fearful  to  look  down  from 
where  we  were ;  it  made  me  dizzy,  although  there  was 
a  strong  iron  railing  around  us.  And  we  were  on  the 
top  of  one  of  these  high  rocks  ourselves !  The  highest 
one  is  called  the  Bastei.  We  went  over  the  strong 
stone  bridge  which  is  built  across  some  of  the  rocks, 
but  it  is  almost  awfal  to  walk  across  it.  Mamma  was 
afraid  for  me  ever}^  minute  when  I  did  not  hold  her 
hand,  for  all  the  places  were  so  dangerous.  We  went 
down  a  different  way  from  the  one  we  went  U23,  and 
through  the  oddest  little  village,  hid  away  out  of  sight 
in  the  valley  at  the  foot  of  the  Bastei.  We  had  a 
good  ride  back  to  Dresden ;  but  I  was  so  tired,  I  did  n't 
enjoy  it  so  well,  but  the  day  itself  was  about  the  best 
I  have  yet  had.     Would  n't  you  think  it  would  be  ? 


HELEN    ON    HEK    TRAVELS.  173 


Forty-Sixth  Letter. 

BEKLIN. 
Dear  Susie: 

The  ride  from  Dresden  to  Berlin  did  not  seem  as 
long  as  I  thought  it  would,  because  we  stopped  over 
night  on  the  way  at  Juterbog.  If  you  thought  we 
had  a  funny  time  when  we  spent  a  night  at  a  village 
inn,  in  the  summer,  you  wx^uld  have  said  there  was  as 
much  to  laugh  at  about  our  visit  to  Juterbog.  If  we 
hadn't  left  the  cars  at  all,  we  should  have  reached 
Berlin  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  it  would 
have  been  almost  better  if  we  had  kept  on  ;  but  papa 
had  a  feeling  that  mamma  would  like  to  see  some 
curiosity  there  was  in  that  little  place,  and  he  thought, 
too,  that  a  hotel  was  very  near  the  station.  When  we 
found  how  the  case  stood,  we  thought  his  first  visit 
there  could  not  have  left  much  impression  upon  him ; 
certainly  the  long  distance  had  n't. 

As  soon  as  we  stepped  out  of  the  station  house,  we 
saw  it  was  already  very  dark.  We  had  been  riding 
since  three  o'clock.  Papa  said  he  remembered  we 
must  go  through  an  avenue  of  trees,  and  then  he  be- 


174  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

lieved  we  should  come  to  the  village ;  hut  he  was  a 
little  mistaken.  We  each  took  something  in  our 
hands, —  I  had  the  luncheon  hasket, —  and  we  trudged 
on  and  on,  until  even  papa  was,  I  think,  a  little  tired, 
though  he  only  said  that  strange  places  seem  longer 
to  reach  when  it  is  dark.  Almost  all  of  the  way  we 
walked  hy  ourselves,  though  sometimes  German  hoys 
would  come  along,  singing  a  song  or  whistling.  When 
we  reached  the  village  we  supposed  of  course  we  were 
nearly  at  the  inn ;  hut  papa  was  again  mistaken,  for 
we  walked  through  one  very  long  street,  and  then 
another,  and  still  another.  It  wasn't  much  such  a 
walk  as  it  is  to  walk  down  Washington  street  in  Bos- 
ton, in  the  evening,  I  can  tell  you.  At  first  the 
houses  were  very  small,  and  only  one  story  high ;  hut 
in  the  second  street  they  were  hetter.  The  streets 
were  paved  with  little  round  stones  that  hurt  my  feet 
at  every  step.  There  were  not  many  j)eople  in  the 
streets.  Sometimes  we  would  meet  a  man  to  inquire 
the  w^ay  of,  or  a  dog  would  hark  at  us.  We  passed 
one  house  where  we  could  see  into  the  rooms,  because 
there  were  no  curtains,  and  we  saw  rooms  full  of  men 
and  women  drinking  beer.  After  we  had  passed  a 
very  tall  tower,  papa  began  to  inquire  of  people  for 
the  Black  Bear,  which  was  the  name  of  the  inn.  At 
last  we  were  directed  to  a  house,  which  certainly  did 
not  look  neat  nor  pleasant,  and  the  rooms  were  full  of 
soldiers,  smoking  and  drinking.  But  mamma  and  I 
were  afraid  to  go  in,  and  that  was  n't  the  Black  Bear, 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  175 

either ;  it  was  another  inn.  So  we  had  to  inquire 
again,  and  a  woman  led  us  to  the  very  door.  We 
went  into  a  long  entry,  and  papa  opened  a  door  on  one 
side;  hut  it  .was  full  of  men,  so^he  opened  a  door  on 
the  other  side,  and  there  we  found  a  very  comfortable 
room.  A  man  sat  by  the  table,  but  he  said  nothing 
but  "Good  evening."  Papa  said,  ^'Can  we  spend  the 
night  here,  and  have  a  good  room  ? '"  He  said  "  Yes," 
and  then  he  went  out  and  sent  in  a  servant-girl.  Oh, 
how  she  gazed  at  us !  She  of  course  knew  we  were 
foreigners,  though  she  didn't  hear  us  speak  English, 
because  papa  had  told  us  to  talk  together  in  German, 
if  we  could.  Papa  said  to  her  "  bring  us  the  best  sup- 
j)er  you  can,  and  then  give  us  nice  beds."  Pretty  soon 
she  came  in  with  supper ;  what  do  you  think  it  was  ? 
Some  brown  bread,  cut  in  thin  slices,  with  cheese  be- 
tween them,  and  beer.  That  was  all  we  could  have ; 
but  although  we  never  had  liked  the  black  bread  as 
it  is  called,  we  all  ate  a  good  deal  of  it. 

Then  the  girl  lighted  a  tallow  candle  and  led  us 
through  the  long  entry,  and  up  some  stairs  which  were 
not  painted  but  covered  with  white  sand.  As  we 
passed  the  kitchen  door,  all  the  people  of  the  house,  I 
should  think,  put  their  heads  out  to  see  us.  We  had 
really  a  nice,  clean,  large  room,  though  there  were  no 
curtains  to  the  windows.  After  I  was  put  in  between 
the  feather  beds,  papa  and  mamma  left  the  light  burn- 
ing, (that  was  because  I  was  in  a  strange  house  and 
me  awake,)  and  went  out  in  the  street  again  to  see 


176  HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 

something  in  an  old  churcli  there.  I  didn't  see  it; 
but  it  was  a  very  old  chest  that  a  man,  named  Tetzel, 
used  to  put  money  in.  He  lived  when  Martin  Luther 
did,  and  was  a  very  wicked  man ;  he  used  to  tell  people 
he  would  pardon  all  their  sins  if  they  would  pay  him 
money.  But  when  he  had  got  a  great  deal,  it  was 
taken  away  from  him,  and  the  chest  he  kept  it  in  has 
always  been  in  a  church  in  Juterbog.  I  did  n't  know 
when  papa  and  mamma  came  back,  and  I  did  n't  know 
anything  till  morning.  We  had  a  better  breakfast 
than  we  had  supper,  and  had  time  afterwards  to  get  to 
the  train  in  season,  and  then  we  came  here  to  Berlin. 
I  do  n't  know  whether  I  shall  like  this  city  or  not ;  we 
live  in  a  hotel  now. 


r^-^^ 


i^m^ 


HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS.  177 


Forty-Seventh  Letter. 

BERLIN. 
Dear  Cousin  Susie: 

I  have  been  almost  homesick  since  we  came  here, 
and  wished  we  were  back  in  our  home  in  America 
again,  for  we  have  had  such  a  time  looking  for  rooms. 
I  always  like  to  go  out  w^ith  papa  and  mamma  when  I 
can  in  the  day-time,  and  so  for  two  or  three  days  I 
have  been  with  them  a  good  deal,  and — oh,  how  many 
flights  of  stairs  I  have  been  up  and  down !  Papa  has 
been  trying  to  find  a  home  for  us  near  the  Unter  den 
Linden ;  that  is  the  name  of  the  finest  street  in  the 
city,  and  if  anybody  can  live  very  near  it,  then  there 
will  be  only  a  little  way  to  walk  to  a  great  many  nice 
places. 

It  seems  like  being  in  a  great  city  again  to  walk 
through  the  streets  here ;  and  I  think  it  is  a  very 
handsome  citj,  for  I  have  seen  some  very  fine  looking 
buildings  with  statues  on  them,  and  there  are  splendid 
shops  here,  too ;  but  you  would  think,  Susie,  just  as  I 
do,  that  it  does  n't  seem  much  like  any  place  we  know 
in  America.  The  sidewalks  are  so  different,  and  the 
houses  all  seem  to  look  alike,  for  they  are  all  of  pretty 
much  the  same  color,  and  that  is  a  light  yellow  or 
straw-color;    papa  says  they  are  made  of  brick,  and 


178  HELEN    ON    HEK   TKAYELS. 

then  covered  witli  a  sort  of  colored  plaster ;  and  then, 
besides, —  but  I  forgot  what  I  was  writing  about  when 
I  commenced  this  letter;  jou  see  I  write  just  as  I 
suppose  I  should  talk  if  I  was  with  you,  only  I  can 't 
know  what  you  would  say.     I  w^ish  I  could ! 

I  should  think  the  Berlin  people  all  lived  up  stairs, 
for  the  lower  part  of  the  houses  is  full  of  shops,  and 
the  upper  stories  are  where  the  people  live.  And  papa 
says  this  is  the  general  custom  here,  although  in  the 
new,  fine  streets  there  are  no  shops  in  the  houses. 
The  houses  must  be  very  large  here,  or  else  so  many 
families  could  n't  live  in  one ;  for  they  seem  to  be  full 
from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  and  each  family  hve  in  one 
story,  so  that  they  can  't  have  some  rooms  up  stairs 
and  some  down  as  your  mother  does,  but  all  must  be 
joined  together.  We  saw  all  kinds  of  rooms  and  all 
kinds  of  pe'ople  when  we  were  inquiring  for  rooms. 
When  any  people  have  rooms  to  let,  they  hang  a 
painted  notice  by  the  great  street-door,  and  as  we  were 
walking  along,  if  we  saw  one  of  these  large  cards  at 
a  good  looking  place,  we  would  go  up  stairs  till  we 
found  the  woman  who  had  rooms  to  let.  Sometimes 
she  would  live  in  the  first  story  (that  is  considered  the 
best),  and  sometimes  in  the  second,  and  sometimes  we 
went  up  to  the  very  top  of  the  house,  and  then  only 
one  room,  or  two  little  ones,  or  we  would  have  to  walk 
through  the  bed-room  —  and  perhaps  that  would  be 
dark — to  get  to  the  sitting-room. 

Papa  and  mamma  did  n't  find  any  place  that  exactly 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  179 

suited  them,  although  two  nice  ones  were  promised  the 
first  of  next  month;  so  we  came  to  this  side  of  the 
Linden,  in  the  same  street  where  papa  used  to  live 
when  he  was  here  before.  I  don't  like  it  very  much; 
but  it  is  n't  so  much  matter  to  me  after  all,  for  when  I 
am  in  the  house  I  have  my  playthings  and  my  books, 
and  then  I  shall  walk  every  day  with  mamma,  and 
perhaps  bye  and  bye  I  may  go  to  anotlier  Kindergarten. 
My  drawer  that  mamma  has  given  me  is  just  full  of 
my  playthings.  I  have  to  keep  my  box  of  blocks  on 
the  floor.  Did  I  ever  tell  you,  Susie,  that  I  had  them 
for  a  present  one  time  when  I  was  sick  in  Gotha,  and 
could  not  go  out  for  several  days  ?  They  are  one  of 
the  toys  that  I  was  promised  I  should  have  when  we 
got  to  Germany,  and  of  course  they  came.  Every 
time  I  go  out  on  the  street,  I  see  so  many  pretty  toys 
I  would  like,  and  mamma  says  she  sees  beautiful 
pictures  she  would  like,  and  I  suppose  papa  wants 
something,  too.  Whenever  I  say,  ''  Oh,  dear,  I  wish 
I  had  such  a  thing ! "  papa  always  says, 

"  Man  never  is,  but  always  to  be  blest." 
He  has  to  say  it  so  often  to  me  that  I  know  it  by 
heart;    and   by  this  time  I  understand   pretty  well 
what  it  means,  though  at  first  I  supposed  it  was  some 
of  his  fun. 

But  I  should  think  I  had  written  enough !  I  wish 
you  would  write  to  me  as  often  as  I  do  to  you.  Do 
you  ever  play  with  your  wax  dolly  now-a-days  ?  The 
German  name  for  doll  is  puppe ;  is  n't  it  funny  ? 


180  HELElSr    ON    HER    TRAVELS. 


Forty-Eighth  Letter. 

BEKLIN. 

Dear  Susie: 

I  begin  to  like  Berlin  pretty  well.  Every  day  I 
take  a  long  walk,  but  the  streets  all  seem  to  look  prett}^ 
much  alike,  except  the  Unter  den  Linden.  That 
name  means  in  English  "under  the  Limes,"  but  we 
always  say  the  Linden  when  we  speak  of  it.  It  is 
such  a  splendid  street,  Susie, —  a  mile  long ;  and  it  is 
so  broad  that  there  are  two  or  three  places  for  carriages 
and  one  for  horseback-riders,  and  two  side  walks,  and 
one  broad  walk  in  the  very  middle  under  the  trees. 
At  one  end  of  it  is  a  very  large  stone  gate ;  papa  says 
it  is  one  of  the  handsomest  in  the  world, —  certainly 
I  can 't  think  how  one  could  be  finer ;  and  when  any 
one  stands  by  that,  he  can  see  down  between  the  trees 
a  whole  mile  to^a  great  statue.  Do  n't  you  remember 
hearing  my  papa  tell  once  about  Frederick  the  Great's 
statue  that  he  had  seen  in  Berlin?  how  beautiful 
it  was,  and  he  hoped  that  when  you  and  I  were  young 
ladies,  we  should  see  it  too  ?  Well,  this  is  the  same 
one,  and  I  don't  wonder  now  that  papa  and  every- 
body else  praises  it  so  much. 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  181 

There  is  so  much  to  be  seen  on  this  street,  that  if  I 
should  try  to  tell  you  what  I  see  and  how  much  I  like 
to  look  at  the  splendid  shops,  you  would  say  I  was 
silly,  and  I  am  afraid  cousin  Mary  and  aunt  Susan 
would  think  I  should  make  you  discontented.  The 
king's  palace  is  close  to  the  great  statue,  and  there  are 
a  great  many  fine  buildings  beyond  that,  and  all  have 
statues  on  them.  When  we  get  back  to  America  I 
think  we  shall  miss  the  statues  some.  Papa  told  me 
yesterday  what  all  these  buildings  were  :  some  are 
palaces,  and  the  Crown  Prince  lives  in  the  hand- 
somest one.  You  know,  do  n't  you,  that  he  married 
Queen  Victoria's  oldest  daughter,  and  I  think  she 
ought  to  have  a  pretty  home  here,  when  she  had  to 
leave  such  nice  places  in  England. 

But  I  began  to  tell  you  what  was  in  these  great 
houses.  One  is  an  arsenal,  and  is  full  of  guns  and 
swords ;  and  another  is  where  the  great  museum  is, 
where  I  suppose  there  is  almost  everything  to  be  seen. 
And  opposite  that,  across  the  great  square,  is  the  old 
palace.  It  is  so  large  that  I  should  think  a  little  city 
fall  of  people  could  live  in  it.  We  went  into  it  yes- 
terday. Some  more  Americans  went  with  us,  and  we 
had  to  have  a  guide.  Did  I  ever  tell  you,  Susie,  about 
a  young  American  gentleman  that  we  used  to  know 
when  we  were  in  Bonn  and  Heidelberg  ?  He  used  to 
make  me  think  of  your  uncle  Tenny  and  of  my  uncle 
Will,  and  I  loved  him  very  much.  He  is  visiting  us 
now,  and  went  over  the  great  palace  with  us.      Of 


182  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

course  we  didn't  see  half  nor  a  quarter  of  all  the 
rooms ;  but  what  we  did  see  were  most  splendid.  The 
jloors  were  polished  so  much  that  I  could  hardly  walk 
without  slipping  down,  and  all  the  gentlemen  had  to 
put  on  soft  sandals  over  their  boots,  to  prevent  any 
scratching  on  the  floors. 

Some  rooms  were  full  of  portraits,  and  some  of  carv- 
ing, and  some  of  beautiful  silver  things.  Oh,  I  was 
really  tired  seeing  so  much !  and  we  kept  walking  on, 
from  one  great  room  to  another,  till  we  came  to  a 
church.  It  is  made  as  a  dome,  and  is  round.  Papa 
told  me  about  all  the  kings  and  distinguished  people 
who  had  lived  in  this  palace,  and  we  are  going  out  to 
a  pretty  place  some  nice  day,  where  there  is  another ; 
but  I  suppose  it  is  n't  as  splendid  as  this  one. 

I  like  to  walk  in  the  Thiergarten,  and  I  take  my 
great  ball  there  to  ]3lay.  It  seems  like  a  great  wood, 
only  it  has  nice  paths  for  people  who  walk,  and  car- 
riage roads  for  carriages ;  and  there  are  little  ponds  in 
it,  and  beautiful  statues.  There  are  always  a  great 
many  people  to  be  seen  there,  and  papa  says  that  in 
warm  weather  and  on  Sundays,  it  is  crowded  with 
people.  We  only  have  to  go  through  that  great  gate 
I  told  you  about,  and  then  cross  a  street,  and  we  are 
just  on  the  edge  of  this  Thiergarten ;  but  it  is  three 
miles  long- 

I  hope  I  shall  write  letters  from  Berlin  that  you 
will  like,  Susie ! 


HELEN    ON    HER    TRAVELS.  183 


Forty-Ninth  Letter, 

BEELITf, 
Dear  Susie: 

The  reason  I  have  not  written  for  so  long  is,  because 
I  have  been  so  busy.  I  have  commenced  going  to 
another  Kindergarten,  and  I  like  it  very  much.  That 
takes  all  my  time,  from  nine  o'clock  till  one,  and  then 
after  dinner  I  take  a  walk,  or  sew,  or  read.  Two  or 
three  times  lately,  mamma  has  taken  me  with  her 
when  she  has  gone  shopping.  I  always  want  to  laugh, 
because  the  shop  women  are  so  polite,  and  mamma 
makes  such  funny  mistakes  in  German.  I  have  just 
had  a  new  hat ;  but  we  had  to  go  into  a  great  many 
shops  before  we  could  find  what  suited  us.  Oh,  Susie, 
they  think  it  is  so  fanny  in  the  Kindergarten,  that  I 
do  n't  wear  ear-rings  in  my  ears,  for  the  little  German 
girls  do ! 

I  wish  I  could  think  of  all  I  have  done  that  you 
would  like  to  hear  about.  I  remember  that  we  went 
out  to  see  the  palace  in  Charlottenburg,  and  we  rode 
in  the  horse  cars.  It  was  so  nice  to  ride  in  the  horse 
cars  again,  for  we  had  n't  seen  any  since  we  were  in 


184  HELEN    ON    HER   TRAVELS. 

New  York ;  and  I  shut  my  eyes  and  tried  to  imagine 
we  were  at  home  again.  The  cars  here  are  better  than 
ours  at  home,  because  there  are  narrow  stairs  at  each 
end  for  people  to  go  up  to  the  top  and  find  nice  seats. 

The  only  thing  I  saw  in  the  palace  that  I  cared 
much  about,  was  an  old  clock  that  used  to  belong  to 
Frederick  the  Great,  and  could  be  wound  up  to  play  a 
tune.  The  music  was  so  loud  that  I  was  almost 
frightened,  and  I  do  n't  wonder  it  made  Napoleon 
jump  when  he  heard  it  in  the  night.  When  he  had 
gained  a  victory  once,  he  came  to  this  palace  to  sleep 
one  night;  and  after  he  had  gone  to  bed,  some  roguish 
servant  placed  this  old  clock  beside  him,  and  touched 
the  spring.  It  began  to  play  the  old  Prussian  march, 
and  it  woke  Napoleon  up.  He  thought  the  Prussian 
soldiers  must  be  coming  upon  him,  and  called  for  help. 

There  are  two  beautiful  monuments  of  Queen  Louisa 
and  her  husband  in  the  garden  of  the  palace,  and 
strangers  are  all  the  time  going  to  see  them. 

It  is  almost  Thanksgiving  time,  and  I  really  wish  I 
could  be  with  you  on  that  day.  I  suppose  you  will 
have  roast  turke}^,  and  mince  pie,  and  plum  pudding, 
for  dinner.  I  do  n't  think  I  shall  see  any  turkey,  for 
papa  and  mamma  are  going  to  eat  their  dinner  witli  a 
great  party  of  Americans  at  a  hotel,  and  little  children 
are  not  allowed  to  go.  Every  two  weeks  there  are 
American  gatherings  at  the  ambassador's,  or  some- 
where else,  but  I  can't  go  there,  either. 

I  know  a  few  little  girls  here  besides  the  ones  in 


HELEX    OX    HER    TRAVELS.  185 

the  Kindergarten.  Oh,  we  do  have  such  nice  times  in 
my  school !  One  da}^  we  make  pretty  things  out  of 
paper,  another  day  we  make  nice  things  with  worsted, 
and  another  da}^  we  prick  the  prettiest  httle  baskets 
and  flowers  and  vines  in  patterns  with  pins,  and  on 
Saturdays  w^e  always  work  in  clay,  and  make  any- 
thing we  like.  And  then  every  day  we  have  nice 
stories  told  us  in  German,  and  play  amusing  games 
besides.  We  do  not  sit  still  a  great  while  at  a  time, 
for  the  teachers  always  have  some  plays  ready.  All 
the  children,  and  the  teachers,  too,  carry  their  break- 
fasts to  school,  and  so  mamma  allows  me  to  carry 
something  in  my  little  basket,  though  I  have  break- 
fast at  home  first.  Some  of  the  children  carry  brown 
bread  and  slices  of  meat,  and  some  bread  and  butter ; 
and  the  teacher  has  a  glass  of  beer  sent  in  to  her. 
This  is  the  teacher  who  lives  in  the  house  where  the 
school  is  :  the  others  do  n^t  live  there.  We  all .  love 
her  dearly,  and  she  seems  to  love  us,  though  she  has 
taught  a  Kindergarten  for  a  great  man};^  years.  She 
and  the  other  teachers  are  showing  us  now  how  to 
make  pretty  presents  for  Christmas.  You  see,  Susie, 
every  family  here  in  Germany  have  a  Christmas  tree, 
and  our  school  is  going  to  have  one,  too ;  and  we  shall 
each  have  a  little  present,  and  take  something  off  the 
tree  for  our  2>arents.  I  am  making  a  watch-case  for 
papa,  in  the  form  of  a  slipper.  It  is  made  of  brown 
pasteboard,  embroidered  with  w^orsted.  He  does  n't 
know  it,  though,  and  I  am  going  to  try  and  keep  a 


186 


HELEX    OX    HER    TRAVELS. 


secret  this  time.     Please,  Susie,  ask  your  mother  not 
to  write  it  to  him. 

I  do  n't  believe  I  can  write  any  more  letters  till  after 
Christmas,  for  I  shall  be  so  busy.  I  am  going  to  have 
a  little  tree  at  home  besides.  When  I  can,  I  '11  tell 
you  about  it  all. 


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